It sounds like we set a new record in Arlington for the lowest turnout in a Town Election yesterday. Just 9.11% of registered voters made it to the polls.
See election results here: www.arlingtonma.gov/town-governance/elections-voting/2015-election-information-results
The biggest congratulations this morning go to the 2,697 people that showed up and voted. There were 26,900 people in town that stayed home. My biggest disappointment is in the 3,400 or so that usually do go out and vote in Town elections but chose not to this year.
I know there wasn't much to get excited about, the election was considerably early this year, and the weather was miserable; but your town needs you to step up and do your job, even when it isn't exciting.
OK, enough of a lecture for now.
How did the exceptionally low turnout yesterday impact the results?
When we talk about the town-wide offices there were two contested races: a three-way race for two seats on the School Committee, and a head-to-head race for a seat on the Board of Assessors.
The low turnout had no impact on the outcome of those races.
For Assessor, Kevin Feeley received 64.62% of the vote compared to 35.09% for challenger Stephen Harrington.
For the School Committee, incumbent Cindy Starks received 39.70%, incumbent Jeffrey Thielman received 36.67%, and challenger Alexis Moisand received 23.12%.
What kept people at home yesterday? An earlier than usual election date may have been a factor. Possibly the early date combined with the harsh winter this year has a lot of people still in hibernation mode. Certainly the relative lack of contested races and the lousy weather were the biggest culprits.
The number of people that stayed home was so great that it is very difficult to argue that voters favoring one candidate over another stayed home in greater numbers, hence the low turnout did not impact the outcomes.
A more typical turnout of twenty-odd percent would not have changed those percentages much, if any. In order to tighten up the results at all it would be necessary for an overwhelming majority of residents that stayed home to cast their ballots differently than their neighbors that did make it out and vote.
What makes a Moisand supporter less likely to want to go outside in the bad weather than a Starks supporter? A Harrington supporter compared to a Feeley supporter?
There is the ballot question to consider. The town voted 78.41% in favor of increasing the number of liquor licenses the Board of Selectmen can grant by five. Looking at previous election results in Arlington, I think this question performed roughly 16.5% better than it typically has. It’s a tough thing to pin down, and people’s attitudes toward alcohol being served in restaurants has also shifted rapidly over the last several years, and some alcohol related questions are more directly equivalent to yesterday’s than others.
Yet again though, what makes a Moisand supporter more anti-alcohol than supporters of Starks and Thielman? Does such a difference exist in the supporters of Feeley or Harrington? Not that I’m aware of. Further, if this difference were real, it certainly wouldn’t be sufficient to change the outcome of the Assessors race, and I don’t think the outcome of the School Committee race either.
All that said, yesterday’s exceptionally low turnout may have had a real impact on Town Meeting races.
One candidate on the ballot for Town Meeting was elected yesterday with 27 votes. The difference between getting elected and not getting elected in many races came down to very, very few votes - not unusual in Town Meeting elections. However with turnout as low as it was, this person voting rather than that person could easily change the outcome.
What I think we saw in Town Meeting races was the distilled wisdom of the most informed and dedicated voters in Arlington making their decisions about who should represent them in Town Meeting.
That’s not to say that I approve of the low turnout. We need people to be more responsible than we saw yesterday.
While I believe Arlington can weather one election like this, and I don’t think the outcome would have been much different with better turnout, it is a blemish on our record of civic investment in Arlington.
Showing posts with label Elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elections. Show all posts
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Saturday, March 28, 2015
My Picks for the 2015 Annual Town Election
The polls opened just a few minutes ago. When I get my shoes on and make it down there, here's how I'm voting, from the bottom of the ballot up:
Alcohol License Ballot Question: "Shall the BOS be authorized to grant up to 5 additional license?"
I'm voting Yes.
Precinct 4 Town Meeting members for 3 years, vote for up to 4. I'm voting for 3:
Aimee Taberner
George Laite
Clarissa Rowe
The other 2 on the ballot haven't shown up much. If you're curious about the attendance records of Town Meeting members on the ballot this year from other precincts, I've written about that in my post 2015 Annual Town Election - Town Meeting Candidates.
Arlington Housing Authority for 5 Years; uncontested; I'm voting for Joseph Daly. Thanks Joseph for doing the job.
School Committee for 3 years, vote for up to 2. I'm voting for:
Jeffrey Thielman
Cindy Starks
Newcomer Alexis Moisand is hoping to unseat one of these 2 veteran incumbents. I believe they deserve to keep their jobs, and Alexis hasn't had a chance yet to show me that he has the experience and skills to do the job.
Assessor for 1 year to fill a vacancy; uncontested. I'm voting for Robert Greeley. Thanks for your service, Robert.
Assessor for 3 years, vote for 1. I'm voting for:
Kevin Feeley
His opponent, Stephen Harrington, is very smart and frequently raises interesting questions. If you observe town politics you also know that he has a reputation for not getting along with people. Not a good quality to have for this position.
Selectman for 3 years, vote for up to 2; uncontested. I'm voting for:
Steven Byrne
Joseph Curro
I will say that I did not vote for Steven Byrne 3 years ago. He was young and didn't have a record I could look at and determine that he had the qualifications to do the job. I've been pleased with the work he has done the last 3 years, and would vote for him this year if he did have an opponent.
Happy Voting Arlington!
Alcohol License Ballot Question: "Shall the BOS be authorized to grant up to 5 additional license?"
I'm voting Yes.
Precinct 4 Town Meeting members for 3 years, vote for up to 4. I'm voting for 3:
Aimee Taberner
George Laite
Clarissa Rowe
The other 2 on the ballot haven't shown up much. If you're curious about the attendance records of Town Meeting members on the ballot this year from other precincts, I've written about that in my post 2015 Annual Town Election - Town Meeting Candidates.
Arlington Housing Authority for 5 Years; uncontested; I'm voting for Joseph Daly. Thanks Joseph for doing the job.
School Committee for 3 years, vote for up to 2. I'm voting for:
Jeffrey Thielman
Cindy Starks
Newcomer Alexis Moisand is hoping to unseat one of these 2 veteran incumbents. I believe they deserve to keep their jobs, and Alexis hasn't had a chance yet to show me that he has the experience and skills to do the job.
Assessor for 1 year to fill a vacancy; uncontested. I'm voting for Robert Greeley. Thanks for your service, Robert.
Assessor for 3 years, vote for 1. I'm voting for:
Kevin Feeley
His opponent, Stephen Harrington, is very smart and frequently raises interesting questions. If you observe town politics you also know that he has a reputation for not getting along with people. Not a good quality to have for this position.
Selectman for 3 years, vote for up to 2; uncontested. I'm voting for:
Steven Byrne
Joseph Curro
I will say that I did not vote for Steven Byrne 3 years ago. He was young and didn't have a record I could look at and determine that he had the qualifications to do the job. I've been pleased with the work he has done the last 3 years, and would vote for him this year if he did have an opponent.
Happy Voting Arlington!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Don't Vote This Year
With the Town Election happening this Saturday my advice to the voters of Arlington is this:
Don’t vote for candidates you do not know would be good at the job.
Do of course turn out and vote. There aren't many contested open seats for town wide offices. As a result I think turnout will be especially low this year, but would love to discover that I’m wrong.
This year I’m interested in seeing what happens way, way down on the ballot in the Town Meeting races.
If voters approach their ballots under the false idea that filling in the full number of ovals allowed is the responsible thing to do, not a lot will change.
If though voters realize that the statement “Vote for not more than four” does not mean that they should vote for four as if they were cleaning up their dinner plates in sympathy with children elsewhere that were starving, and instead only cast votes for candidates they have learned will do the job, we could see some shifts in many precincts, and the removal of members that have failed to attend Town Meeting for - in some cases - years.
So my hope for this election is that voters fill in the ovals on their ballots *on purpose,* for good reasons.
I have compiled a spreadsheet showing attendance records of all members on the ballot this year, and posted it here.
I encourage people to look up who is on the ballot in their precinct, and make an informed choice.
This is also the first year voters can actually review how their Town Meeting members voted on articles in Town Meeting.
There are links at the bottom of this page that say :“Votes Utilizing Electronic Voting System.”
By finding what night the issue you are curious about was voted on here, that’s the link from “2014 ATM and STM Voting by Article,” you can look up the voting records for that night and see how your Town Meeting members voted.
For example, you can review whether or not your Town Meeting members voted to put the issue of adopting the Community Preservation Act before the town by following this link and looking at the column labeled “Article 22: ACCEPTANCE OF LEGISLATION/COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT”:
Transparency in the operations of our local government is slowly coming. As it does so the question becomes: will the voters take advantage of it?
Don’t vote for candidates you do not know would be good at the job.
Do of course turn out and vote. There aren't many contested open seats for town wide offices. As a result I think turnout will be especially low this year, but would love to discover that I’m wrong.
This year I’m interested in seeing what happens way, way down on the ballot in the Town Meeting races.
If voters approach their ballots under the false idea that filling in the full number of ovals allowed is the responsible thing to do, not a lot will change.
If though voters realize that the statement “Vote for not more than four” does not mean that they should vote for four as if they were cleaning up their dinner plates in sympathy with children elsewhere that were starving, and instead only cast votes for candidates they have learned will do the job, we could see some shifts in many precincts, and the removal of members that have failed to attend Town Meeting for - in some cases - years.
So my hope for this election is that voters fill in the ovals on their ballots *on purpose,* for good reasons.
I have compiled a spreadsheet showing attendance records of all members on the ballot this year, and posted it here.
I encourage people to look up who is on the ballot in their precinct, and make an informed choice.
This is also the first year voters can actually review how their Town Meeting members voted on articles in Town Meeting.
There are links at the bottom of this page that say :“Votes Utilizing Electronic Voting System.”
By finding what night the issue you are curious about was voted on here, that’s the link from “2014 ATM and STM Voting by Article,” you can look up the voting records for that night and see how your Town Meeting members voted.
For example, you can review whether or not your Town Meeting members voted to put the issue of adopting the Community Preservation Act before the town by following this link and looking at the column labeled “Article 22: ACCEPTANCE OF LEGISLATION/COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT”:
Transparency in the operations of our local government is slowly coming. As it does so the question becomes: will the voters take advantage of it?
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
2015 Annual Town Election - Town Meeting Candidates
This year's Town Election is earlier than usual: Saturday, March 28th.
When it comes to Town Meeting candidates, there is precious little information available to help someone make an educated choice.
To help with that, I've listed all the candidates for Town Meeting below, with information related to attendance at Town Meeting over the previous three years. Click here to read more about the issue of attendance at Town Meeting.
Until the implementation of electronic voting last year, trying to track how members voted on issues was next to impossible, as no records were kept on how an individual voted (except in the rare case of a roll call vote).
Despite the fact that electronic voting will provide you a record of how your member votes, I believe the bigger issue is still this: Does your Town Meeting member show up?
With that in mind, I encourage everyone to take some time this year, and cast votes for those candidates you trust to actually show up and participate in Town Meeting.
Voters can pick up to four Town Meeting candidates for the 3-year seats. There are a few precincts that also need to fill vacant seats that are less than 3-years. These are noted in the Seat column.
One column shows the percent of electronic votes incumbent members cast at last year's Town Meeting. We don't cast a uniform number of votes each night, so this number won't exactly mirror attendance. I've included it because when the percentage of sessions attended is a lot higher than the percent of electronic votes cast, it might indicate that this member made a habit of leaving early most nights.
If you are curious how members voted on specific issues last year, you can find that information behind the links named Votes Utilizing Electronic Voting System on the 2014 Annual Town Meeting page on the Town's website.
You will notice that the rows below are shaded with different colors.
Gray indicates that the seat is uncontested - there are not more candidates than open seats, so without an impressive write-in campaign, these people will be elected to Town Meeting this year.
Green indicates that there are more candidates than open seats for this race.
Rows without any highlighting represent seats where no one has turned in papers and there won't be a candidate listed on the ballot for this seat.
Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.
When it comes to Town Meeting candidates, there is precious little information available to help someone make an educated choice.
To help with that, I've listed all the candidates for Town Meeting below, with information related to attendance at Town Meeting over the previous three years. Click here to read more about the issue of attendance at Town Meeting.
Until the implementation of electronic voting last year, trying to track how members voted on issues was next to impossible, as no records were kept on how an individual voted (except in the rare case of a roll call vote).
Despite the fact that electronic voting will provide you a record of how your member votes, I believe the bigger issue is still this: Does your Town Meeting member show up?
With that in mind, I encourage everyone to take some time this year, and cast votes for those candidates you trust to actually show up and participate in Town Meeting.
Voters can pick up to four Town Meeting candidates for the 3-year seats. There are a few precincts that also need to fill vacant seats that are less than 3-years. These are noted in the Seat column.
One column shows the percent of electronic votes incumbent members cast at last year's Town Meeting. We don't cast a uniform number of votes each night, so this number won't exactly mirror attendance. I've included it because when the percentage of sessions attended is a lot higher than the percent of electronic votes cast, it might indicate that this member made a habit of leaving early most nights.
If you are curious how members voted on specific issues last year, you can find that information behind the links named Votes Utilizing Electronic Voting System on the 2014 Annual Town Meeting page on the Town's website.
You will notice that the rows below are shaded with different colors.
Gray indicates that the seat is uncontested - there are not more candidates than open seats, so without an impressive write-in campaign, these people will be elected to Town Meeting this year.
Green indicates that there are more candidates than open seats for this race.
Rows without any highlighting represent seats where no one has turned in papers and there won't be a candidate listed on the ballot for this seat.
Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Let's pass Question 5, and start taking advantage of the Community Preservation Act in Arlington
In Town Meeting I voted to put the Community Preservation Act before voters this Fall.
I believe it's a good deal for Arlington.
If you feel the same way, please consider adding your name to the list of people in favor of passing Question 5 this Fall.
As the campaign to pass Question 5 gets underway these names will be shared, at least on the campaign website (coming soon!), so that voters can see who agrees that the Community Preservation Act is a good deal for Arlington.
Add your name here:
I believe it's a good deal for Arlington.
If you feel the same way, please consider adding your name to the list of people in favor of passing Question 5 this Fall.
As the campaign to pass Question 5 gets underway these names will be shared, at least on the campaign website (coming soon!), so that voters can see who agrees that the Community Preservation Act is a good deal for Arlington.
Add your name here:
Monday, April 7, 2014
Town Election Results, 2014
Over the last couple months I worked with Bob Sprague at YourArlington.com to create a system to provide live results on election night.
Unfortunately we determined that time constraints would prevent us from securing enough volunteers to cover each polling site, and so chose to save our work for next year.
However, since the spreadsheets were all in place, I've populated this year's results and share it with you here.
If you spot any errors, let me know.
I find this easier to look at than the more official-ish statement of votes cast released by the Clerk's office.
Unfortunately we determined that time constraints would prevent us from securing enough volunteers to cover each polling site, and so chose to save our work for next year.
However, since the spreadsheets were all in place, I've populated this year's results and share it with you here.
If you spot any errors, let me know.
I find this easier to look at than the more official-ish statement of votes cast released by the Clerk's office.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Turnout Projections for the 2014 Town Elections
UPDATE: I have revised my projections slightly. Looking at the data, I saw that there was a much larger change in turnout in Precinct 12 between the 2010 election and the elections in 2011 and 2012 (14.37%, compared to an average change of 4.79% across all other precincts). This extra low turnout in Precinct 12 in 2010 was dragging the projected turnout for that precinct down more than it should. I also gave some slight increases in projected turnout in some precincts with contested Town Meeting races. These changes saw an increase in projected voters from 7,697 to 7,718.
This year I have attempted to predict voter turnout by precinct for our Town Election coming up this Saturday.
Label this an exercise in humility. Knowing my aptitude in the math involved in making such predictions, I would not wager $5 that I have this right.
Nonetheless, what follows are my predictions for voter turnout in this year's Town Election.
Results in 2010 were anticipated ahead of Election Day, and many voters were not energized to participate.
2011 saw 2 fairly competitive races for BOS.
2012 had a vibrant contest for BOS, two alcohol related ballot questions, and many Town Meeting members up for re-election due to redistricting.
2013 had 2 ballot questions, one of which was a centerpiece of heated debate in town.
The 2014 election has no ballot questions, but does have a heated race for Town Treasurer, and a potentially close race for BOS, depending on how voters split their tickets.
2014 also has a few contested Town Meeting races that may increase turnout very slightly in those precincts.
I believe that turnout in 2014 will not benefit from the impact brought by ballot questions in 2013, especially in certain precincts in East Arlington.
2014 will continue to see an increase in voter engagement as voters square off against each other on tribal lines, those divisions especially heightened this year with the Treasurer's race.
The base supporters of Bob Tosi and Jennifer Susse will be motivated voters this cycle. Otherwise the races for BOS and School Committee will not motivate an increase in voter turnout.
The primary motivation driving voters to the polls this election will be the Treasurer's race, and motivation will be especially high among voters that perceive the future of the town along tribal lines.
Ultimately turnout will remain higher than we saw in 2010, but will not be higher than we saw in 2011 or 2012, and definately not as high as we saw in 2013. Tribal alliances will work to maintain higher turnout, but not drive an increase in the number of voters going to the polls.
Here is my guess at what turnout will look like by precinct this Saturday:
For a look at turnout in previous elections, as well as the data I used to base my predictions on, visit this link:
Election Turnout Projection - 2014 Town Elections
Update and a disclaimer: My gut says that turnout this year will not fall to levels we saw in 2010, but won't see the boost we saw from ballot questions in 2013. Increased engagement over the years, and a rare contested race for Town Treasurer, will maintain the level of turnout we saw in 2012 and 2011.
Were I to be working this election in a professional capacity, I would take this intuition for what it was, and pay someone good at the math to tell me what would actually happen.
This year I have attempted to predict voter turnout by precinct for our Town Election coming up this Saturday.
Label this an exercise in humility. Knowing my aptitude in the math involved in making such predictions, I would not wager $5 that I have this right.
Nonetheless, what follows are my predictions for voter turnout in this year's Town Election.
Results in 2010 were anticipated ahead of Election Day, and many voters were not energized to participate.
2011 saw 2 fairly competitive races for BOS.
2012 had a vibrant contest for BOS, two alcohol related ballot questions, and many Town Meeting members up for re-election due to redistricting.
2013 had 2 ballot questions, one of which was a centerpiece of heated debate in town.
The 2014 election has no ballot questions, but does have a heated race for Town Treasurer, and a potentially close race for BOS, depending on how voters split their tickets.
2014 also has a few contested Town Meeting races that may increase turnout very slightly in those precincts.
I believe that turnout in 2014 will not benefit from the impact brought by ballot questions in 2013, especially in certain precincts in East Arlington.
2014 will continue to see an increase in voter engagement as voters square off against each other on tribal lines, those divisions especially heightened this year with the Treasurer's race.
The base supporters of Bob Tosi and Jennifer Susse will be motivated voters this cycle. Otherwise the races for BOS and School Committee will not motivate an increase in voter turnout.
The primary motivation driving voters to the polls this election will be the Treasurer's race, and motivation will be especially high among voters that perceive the future of the town along tribal lines.
Ultimately turnout will remain higher than we saw in 2010, but will not be higher than we saw in 2011 or 2012, and definately not as high as we saw in 2013. Tribal alliances will work to maintain higher turnout, but not drive an increase in the number of voters going to the polls.
Here is my guess at what turnout will look like by precinct this Saturday:
For a look at turnout in previous elections, as well as the data I used to base my predictions on, visit this link:
Election Turnout Projection - 2014 Town Elections
Update and a disclaimer: My gut says that turnout this year will not fall to levels we saw in 2010, but won't see the boost we saw from ballot questions in 2013. Increased engagement over the years, and a rare contested race for Town Treasurer, will maintain the level of turnout we saw in 2012 and 2011.
Were I to be working this election in a professional capacity, I would take this intuition for what it was, and pay someone good at the math to tell me what would actually happen.
Friday, March 28, 2014
2014 Town Election Endorsements
I believe I will have more time free up prior to Election Day, and if anyone has questions about my picks I would be happy to elaborate.
We have three uncontested town-wide races this year. I unreservedly endorse Stephanie Lucarelli for Town Clerk, Mary Winstanley O’Connor for Assessor, and Daniel Brosnan for the Arlington Housing Authority.
Town Treasurer
We have a rare contested race for Town Treasurer this year, with incumbent Stephen Gilligan facing challenger Julie Dunn.
I endorse Julie Dunn.
Stephen Gilligan has his detractors in town.
(see some background here: YourArlington.com)
He also has equal numbers of stalwart supporters.
The ranks of both his detractors and supporters are full of reasonable, smart, and respected people in town.
My view: no matter where you come down on debates about whether Mr. Gilligan has done well for the town or not, this is the sort of professional-office-yet-elected-position that benefits greatly from periodic house-cleaning.
I do not believe it serves Arlington's interests for the office of Town Treasurer to be a job for life.
It is a rare thing to have a sharp, qualified candidate such as Julie Dunn step up and ask for this job.
Let's give it to her.
Even if every complaint made by Mr. Gilligan's detractors were false, Arlington benefits from fresh perspective and energy brought by a qualified professional such as Julie Dunn.
Board of Selectmen
Two incumbents and one challenger are running for two seats on the Board of Selectmen this year: Diane Mahon, Dan Dunn, and Bob Tosi.
I endorse the two incumbents.
Both Mahon and Dunn fill important roles on the board.
Diane Mahon brings a passion for communicating with people and serving in the unofficial role of "Constituent Services Chair" on the board.
Dan Dunn is wicked smart, an effective innovator, and holds strong personal values in line with transparency and fair access.
It would be a loss for Arlington if either one of these two did not remain on the Board.
It was just two years ago that I happily endorsed Bob Tosi as candidate for the Board of Selectmen.
In a five-way race for two open seats, Joe Curro was a clear choice, and Steven Byrne ended up getting the second seat.
At the time I did not feel we knew enough about Mr. Byrne for me to endorse him (I have been pleasantly pleased so far on that front, and suspect I will endorse Mr. Byrne's re-election when the time comes).
Mr. Tosi on the other hand has a long resume of valued service to Arlington.
Unfortunately there is not a current member of the Board that I would want to kick off in exchange for Mr. Tosi.
I also feel it shows an unfortunate lack of political acumen for him to choose to run again this year, especially since he has failed to make a case for firing either of the other two candidates.
If you are going to attempt to take a job away from people that already hold it, you need to give the voters a better reason than "I'd be good at it too."
Further, if you are going to be effective in a political office, you need to show sufficient political wisdom to know when to enter the fray, and when not to do so.
In a sense, Mr. Tosi's choice to run this year against two popular and valued incumbents is the most effective argument against choosing to place him in a political office.
There is an outside chance in the demographic-algebra that drives Arlington electoral politics that Mr. Tosi makes a run up the middle and actually does secure a seat on the Board this year.
If he does, I fear the political costs will make him a much less effective member of the Board than he would have been had he chose a better time to make his move.
Essentially it is my opinion that if he wins, he fails, and if he does not win, he loses.
With the service he has provided Arlington over the years, it is my hope that we haven't seen the last of him with this election.
But he still doesn't get my vote. Not this time.
School Committee
There are four candidates running for three seats on the School Committee this year.
Bill Hayner and Paul Schlichtman are both incumbents that should easily and rightly be re-elected.
Michael Buckley has come back to run again, having been defeated last year.
Jennifer Susse is running for the first time.
I'm voting for Bill Hayner, Paul Schlichtman, and Jennifer Susse.
Jennifer Susse has been active in school related organizations, and is also a Town Meeting member in Precinct 3.
She is incredibly bright and energetic.
She is also a strong independent thinker.
Jennifer Susse will make a fantastic member of the School Committee.
Town Meeting
Depending on where you live, there are some very competitive races for Town Meeting this year, with contested races in precincts 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 20 and 21.
***UPDATE: If you live in one of those precincts and want to see who is on the ballot for Town Meeting, you can view the whole official ballot for this year's Town Election from the Town Clerk's website.I am up for re-election myself in Precinct 4, but with four candidates running for four seats, I need only hope that my penchant for sometimes saying out-loud what would be more expedient to keep to myself has not encouraged a spirited write-in campaign to unseat me.
Here's the link: Official Ballot
Of all the other precincts experiencing competitive races this year, for now I will only speak on Precinct 7.
I hope that the voters in Precinct 7 will choose to send Theodore W. Sharpe, Sheri A. Baron, Timothy M. Hughes, and Andrew P. Bengtson to Town Meeting this year.
If you live in Precinct 7, write those four names down and take them with you to the polls on Saturday, April 5th.
Here they are again, so seriously: grab a pen or pencil and write this down:
- Theodore W. Sharpe
- Sheri A. Baron
- Timothy M. Hughes
- Andrew P. Bengtson
There are two other candidates for Town Meeting from Precinct 7 this year that Arlington would be well served to not have at the meetings:
Christopher P. Loreti and Mark H. Kaepplein
Others have more colorful names for them, but I lump both of them into a category of members I simply call "ax-grinders."
There is a small but exceedingly vocal minority at Town Meeting whose only discernible purpose is to pursue their own personal vendettas.
They are what I call the Arlington Tea Party.
They are for nothing, but against much.
Arlington needs its critics.
Arlington does not need its critics sabotaging the work of Town Meeting.
Those are my endorsements (and anti-endorsements) for Town Election this year.
Please remember to vote on Saturday, April 5th.
If you might be out of town, remember that you can go into Town Hall and vote an absentee ballot.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Town Elections, 2013
Our annual town election happens this Saturday, April 6th.
People can review a sample ballot on the Town’s website, here: 2013 Official Ballot
Also, polling locations can be found here: Precinct Polling Map
Uncontested races this year include the election of our Town Moderator, our Town Assessor, a one-year seat on the School Committee, a five-year seat on the Housing Authority and a two-year seat on the Housing Authority.
Town Meeting
In some precincts there are competitive races for Town Meeting, and in others there are fewer candidates than open seats.
Here in precinct 4, the four incumbent Town Meeting members are on the ballot unchallenged.
Board of Selectmen
There is one seat up on the Board of Selectmen, and long time incumbent Kevin Greeley stands for re-election.
Running against Kevin, in her, um, fourth attempt to get elected, is Maria Romano.
I would like to find the time to talk at length about political divides in town, and what the candidacy of Maria Romano has come to represent, but I will need to save that for another post.
I’m voting for Kevin Greeley.
School Committee
Three candidates are running for two, three year seats on the School Committee.
They include incumbents Kirsi Allison-Ampe and Judson Pierce.
Hoping to pick one of them off is new-comer Michael Buckley.
It is good to see people step up and take an interest in local government, and I hope Mr. Buckley continues to remain involved after this election.
He brings no experience, and a history of non-involvement to the table.
If this were a job interview, his resume would not have made the cut.
Not this year, anyway.
Perhaps he’ll stay involved, and we’ll have a chance to see more of him in the future.
I’m voting for the two incumbents, Kirsi Allison-Ampe and Judson Pierce
Ballot Questions
Given the lack of competitive races this year, it is no wonder that the two non-binding ballot questions will be what most people focus on this year.
Question 1 asks:
What I’d more realistically prefer is a town that could engage in serious, honest debate about issues that impact us.
Instead too much oxygen is sucked up by dishonest rhetoric, aimed more at creating divisions than solving problems.
That though is a topic for another post.
Here is where I stand on the Mass. Ave. project:
I believe that Mass. Ave., in its current configuration, is a dangerous road.
I believe that the stated goals of the project to rebuild Mass. Ave. are goals that I support:
I wish I could see into a crystal ball and say with certainty that the engineers got things right, and the new proposed design of three lanes will work.
I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t.
What I do know is that if we are going to use outside money to repair Mass. Ave., we have to accept the strings that come with it.
We cannot have four lanes, unless we want to pay for this project using local funds.
The bulk of the cost associated with doing anything is sucked up in stripping and repaving the street.
To keep four lanes, we have to spend somewhere between $4 and $6 million dollars in as yet un-raised money, that will come from local property taxes.
For that amount of money, I am willing to cross my fingers and hope the engineers got it right.
I am voting "No" on question 1.
Question 2 asks:
I am generally in favor of people being able to do things they find convenient, including parking on the street, when it doesn’t adversely impact essential stuff (such as emergency vehicle response rates, in this case).
Related to this question I have heard that we in Arlington pay lower auto insurance rates than we would otherwise, because of the overnight parking ban.
That leaves me conflicted.
I’m still not sure how I will vote on this question. That uncertainty has me leaning toward supporting the status quo.
I feel that people should generally be able to park on the street.
I don’t feel so strongly about it that I think we all should pay more for something like auto insurance.
The one thing I am certain about is that I am glad the question in nonbinding.
I do think the Board was right to put the question on the ballot.
It will be good to know how people feel, and should help inform future decisions on the matter.
People can review a sample ballot on the Town’s website, here: 2013 Official Ballot
Also, polling locations can be found here: Precinct Polling Map
Uncontested races this year include the election of our Town Moderator, our Town Assessor, a one-year seat on the School Committee, a five-year seat on the Housing Authority and a two-year seat on the Housing Authority.
Town Meeting
In some precincts there are competitive races for Town Meeting, and in others there are fewer candidates than open seats.
Here in precinct 4, the four incumbent Town Meeting members are on the ballot unchallenged.
Board of Selectmen
There is one seat up on the Board of Selectmen, and long time incumbent Kevin Greeley stands for re-election.
Running against Kevin, in her, um, fourth attempt to get elected, is Maria Romano.
I would like to find the time to talk at length about political divides in town, and what the candidacy of Maria Romano has come to represent, but I will need to save that for another post.
I’m voting for Kevin Greeley.
School Committee
Three candidates are running for two, three year seats on the School Committee.
They include incumbents Kirsi Allison-Ampe and Judson Pierce.
Hoping to pick one of them off is new-comer Michael Buckley.
It is good to see people step up and take an interest in local government, and I hope Mr. Buckley continues to remain involved after this election.
He brings no experience, and a history of non-involvement to the table.
If this were a job interview, his resume would not have made the cut.
Not this year, anyway.
Perhaps he’ll stay involved, and we’ll have a chance to see more of him in the future.
I’m voting for the two incumbents, Kirsi Allison-Ampe and Judson Pierce
Ballot Questions
Given the lack of competitive races this year, it is no wonder that the two non-binding ballot questions will be what most people focus on this year.
Question 1 asks:
Shall the Town have four vehicular travel lanes on Massachusetts Avenue in East Arlington as now practiced?Personally, I’d prefer six lanes, all underground, with a beautiful, long town plaza on the surface, complete with a ferris wheel, and pony rides for the kids.
YES or NO
What I’d more realistically prefer is a town that could engage in serious, honest debate about issues that impact us.
Instead too much oxygen is sucked up by dishonest rhetoric, aimed more at creating divisions than solving problems.
That though is a topic for another post.
Here is where I stand on the Mass. Ave. project:
I believe that Mass. Ave., in its current configuration, is a dangerous road.
I believe that the stated goals of the project to rebuild Mass. Ave. are goals that I support:
- Increase safety for all users, especially pedestrians.
- Create a traffic system that is safe, efficient, and easy to navigate for vehicles, pedestrians, individuals with disabilities, bicyclists, and transit riders.
- Upgrade the infrastructure -- roads, sidewalks, traffic signals.
- Improve the Lake Street/Capitol Square business district to create a pedestrian friendly center, where people feel safe and comfortable meeting, shopping, and strolling.
I wish I could see into a crystal ball and say with certainty that the engineers got things right, and the new proposed design of three lanes will work.
I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t.
What I do know is that if we are going to use outside money to repair Mass. Ave., we have to accept the strings that come with it.
We cannot have four lanes, unless we want to pay for this project using local funds.
The bulk of the cost associated with doing anything is sucked up in stripping and repaving the street.
To keep four lanes, we have to spend somewhere between $4 and $6 million dollars in as yet un-raised money, that will come from local property taxes.
For that amount of money, I am willing to cross my fingers and hope the engineers got it right.
I am voting "No" on question 1.
Question 2 asks:
Do you favor the Town’s current overnight parking ban?The Board of Selectmen decided to put this question on the ballot to get a more accurate sense of how residents feel on this issue, and to see if there is a strong difference of opinion in different parts of town.
YES or NO
I am generally in favor of people being able to do things they find convenient, including parking on the street, when it doesn’t adversely impact essential stuff (such as emergency vehicle response rates, in this case).
Related to this question I have heard that we in Arlington pay lower auto insurance rates than we would otherwise, because of the overnight parking ban.
That leaves me conflicted.
I’m still not sure how I will vote on this question. That uncertainty has me leaning toward supporting the status quo.
I feel that people should generally be able to park on the street.
I don’t feel so strongly about it that I think we all should pay more for something like auto insurance.
The one thing I am certain about is that I am glad the question in nonbinding.
I do think the Board was right to put the question on the ballot.
It will be good to know how people feel, and should help inform future decisions on the matter.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Special Election on Thursday, July 19th
I've attempted to pull together some non-biased resources regarding the Special Election on Thursday, July 19th to uphold or repeal restrictions on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Let me know if you spot any errors, and of course share this with anyone who needs the info.
Polls are open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
That's 2 o'clock in the afternoon - you can't vote till 2 o'clock.
The League of Women Voters is offering rides to the polls for the Special Election on July 19 between 2 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. People should call Phyllis Maddox at 781-354-0907 prior to the election.
Note that they are only doing this from 2 till 5.
You can find your polling location here:
http://www.arlingtonma.gov/public_documents/ArlingtonMA_Clerk/pollinglocations
Note that some polling locations are different than normal, due to construction at the Thompson School.
Take a look at the ballot here:
http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_Clerk/elections/2012/Sampleballot_07192012.pdf
The question reads:
"Shall the town vote to approve the action of the representative town meeting whereby it was voted to amend the Town Bylaws to prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers on private property between May 15th and October 15th by a vote of 95 in the affirmative to 85 in the negative."
To clarify matters even more...
"Where do I go to read the biased opinions of others that I depend upon for issues like this?"
Opponents of the new bylaw: http://www.arlingtonlandscapeassociation.com
Supporters of the new bylaw: http://arlingtonleafblowers.blogspot.com
Opponents on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonLandscapeAssociation
Supporters on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/117654194928538/
Video On Demand of the Town Meeting Debate and vote, and the Board of Selectmen meeting where the topic of this election was discussed:
Town Meeting Debate #1
Town Meeting Debate #2
BOS Meeting
FAQ about the election:
(Most of this is just copied and pasted from
http://arlingtonleafblowers.blogspot.com/2012/06/leaf-blower-election-vote-repeal.html#more,
since Adam Auster got it all right. I didn't want to send you to a non-independent source for the info so I've copied it here, but the page does a good job and touches on other issues as well if you're interested)
Q: Why has the Town scheduled this vote?
A: State law provides for a special election (a town-wide referendum) on any new bylaw adopted by Town Meeting on receipt of signatures from at least 3% of all registered voters in Town requesting a repeal election.
Lawn-care companies collected some 1,400 signatures and on May 31 the Town Clerk certified 1,053 of them as valid.
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/arlington/2012/05/voters_will_get_chance_to_reve.html
That exceeded the 3% minimum and triggered the special election.
The law governing this vote is MGL Chapter 43A Section 10.
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter43A/Section10
Q: Why did the Town schedule the vote for July 19? Why not hold it on Election Day in November?
A: Under the terms of the law, the Town must schedule this vote "forthwith." Town Counsel, in consultation with the Attorney General's Office, has determined that this election may not be combined with any regular election and must be held as soon as possible.
The Selectmen may have chosen the Thursday date to minimize costs, since on Thursdays many Town employees work late and would not require extra pay to staff the election.
Q: Why don't the polls open until 2 pm?
That is another requirement of state law.
Q: Is there a minimum-turnout requirement? A "quorum" for this vote?
A: Yes. Under state law, no action of the representative town meeting shall be reversed unless at least twenty per cent of the registered voters shall so vote.
That means that to repeal the bylaw, not only must a majority of votes favor repeal, but at least 20% of all registered voters must do so.
Q: Is there a similar turn-out requirement for those who want to keep the new bylaw?
A: No. In the case of a special repeal election, where a bylaw has already been approved by Town Meeting, state law places the burden on those seeking repeal.
Votes in favor of the bylaw are not counted towards the 20% turnout requirement.
Q: What will happen if the repeal fails? What if it passes?
New bylaws must be approved by the Attorney General and then be legally advertised before going into effect. This would probably occur around October 15. Since the bylaw does not restrict leaf blowers after October 15, the practical effect of the new bylaw would not be felt until May 15 of 2013.
If the repeal passes, with at least 20% of registered voters voting "No" (for repeal), the bylaw is repealed.
Q: Is it too late to register to vote in this election?
A: The last day to register to vote for this election was June 28.
Q: So if I don't want the new bylaw to be repealed, I should just stay home and not vote?
A: Where did you read that? That idea is wrong in a number of different ways. The confusion comes up because opponents of the new bylaw do have a requirement to get at least 20% of registered voters to vote "No" on the ballot.
That is a high number of people turning out and voting in the election, but maybe not so high as you'd think.
Consider that the special override election held on June 7th of last year had 46.6% turnout
(http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_Clerk/elections/2011/ElectionResults_06072011.pdf)
Voting absentee has also been heavily promoted for people that will be out of town for this election.
Regardless of what side you choose, it is in your interest to turn out and vote. If the 20% number of people voting "No" is met, the outcome will be determined by which side got more votes. In other words, it is possible for there to be more than 20% "No" votes and for the bylaw to still stand, if there are more "Yes" votes (in this scenario, turnout would be over 40%).
Even if the 20% threshold is not met, the results of this election will be looked to as an advisory vote by people trying to determine what the will of the voters in Arlington actually is with regards to this issue.
So you should most definately turn out and vote, regardless of your opinion on this issue.
That's it. Let me know if you spot any errors, and be sure and pass this information along to anyone that needs it.
Polls are open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
That's 2 o'clock in the afternoon - you can't vote till 2 o'clock.
The League of Women Voters is offering rides to the polls for the Special Election on July 19 between 2 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. People should call Phyllis Maddox at 781-354-0907 prior to the election.
Note that they are only doing this from 2 till 5.
You can find your polling location here:
http://www.arlingtonma.gov/public_documents/ArlingtonMA_Clerk/pollinglocations
Note that some polling locations are different than normal, due to construction at the Thompson School.
Take a look at the ballot here:
http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_Clerk/elections/2012/Sampleballot_07192012.pdf
The question reads:
"Shall the town vote to approve the action of the representative town meeting whereby it was voted to amend the Town Bylaws to prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers on private property between May 15th and October 15th by a vote of 95 in the affirmative to 85 in the negative."
To clarify matters even more...
- Vote "Yes" to keep the bylaw, creating restrictions on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers during the Summer.
- Vote "No" to repeal the bylaw, and not create any new restrictions on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers during the Summer.
"Where do I go to read the biased opinions of others that I depend upon for issues like this?"
Opponents of the new bylaw: http://www.arlingtonlandscapeassociation.com
Supporters of the new bylaw: http://arlingtonleafblowers.blogspot.com
Opponents on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonLandscapeAssociation
Supporters on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/117654194928538/
Video On Demand of the Town Meeting Debate and vote, and the Board of Selectmen meeting where the topic of this election was discussed:
Town Meeting Debate #1
Town Meeting Debate #2
BOS Meeting
FAQ about the election:
(Most of this is just copied and pasted from
http://arlingtonleafblowers.blogspot.com/2012/06/leaf-blower-election-vote-repeal.html#more,
since Adam Auster got it all right. I didn't want to send you to a non-independent source for the info so I've copied it here, but the page does a good job and touches on other issues as well if you're interested)
Q: Why has the Town scheduled this vote?
A: State law provides for a special election (a town-wide referendum) on any new bylaw adopted by Town Meeting on receipt of signatures from at least 3% of all registered voters in Town requesting a repeal election.
Lawn-care companies collected some 1,400 signatures and on May 31 the Town Clerk certified 1,053 of them as valid.
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/arlington/2012/05/voters_will_get_chance_to_reve.html
That exceeded the 3% minimum and triggered the special election.
The law governing this vote is MGL Chapter 43A Section 10.
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter43A/Section10
Q: Why did the Town schedule the vote for July 19? Why not hold it on Election Day in November?
A: Under the terms of the law, the Town must schedule this vote "forthwith." Town Counsel, in consultation with the Attorney General's Office, has determined that this election may not be combined with any regular election and must be held as soon as possible.
The Selectmen may have chosen the Thursday date to minimize costs, since on Thursdays many Town employees work late and would not require extra pay to staff the election.
Q: Why don't the polls open until 2 pm?
That is another requirement of state law.
Q: Is there a minimum-turnout requirement? A "quorum" for this vote?
A: Yes. Under state law, no action of the representative town meeting shall be reversed unless at least twenty per cent of the registered voters shall so vote.
That means that to repeal the bylaw, not only must a majority of votes favor repeal, but at least 20% of all registered voters must do so.
Q: Is there a similar turn-out requirement for those who want to keep the new bylaw?
A: No. In the case of a special repeal election, where a bylaw has already been approved by Town Meeting, state law places the burden on those seeking repeal.
Votes in favor of the bylaw are not counted towards the 20% turnout requirement.
Q: What will happen if the repeal fails? What if it passes?
New bylaws must be approved by the Attorney General and then be legally advertised before going into effect. This would probably occur around October 15. Since the bylaw does not restrict leaf blowers after October 15, the practical effect of the new bylaw would not be felt until May 15 of 2013.
If the repeal passes, with at least 20% of registered voters voting "No" (for repeal), the bylaw is repealed.
Q: Is it too late to register to vote in this election?
A: The last day to register to vote for this election was June 28.
Q: So if I don't want the new bylaw to be repealed, I should just stay home and not vote?
A: Where did you read that? That idea is wrong in a number of different ways. The confusion comes up because opponents of the new bylaw do have a requirement to get at least 20% of registered voters to vote "No" on the ballot.
That is a high number of people turning out and voting in the election, but maybe not so high as you'd think.
Consider that the special override election held on June 7th of last year had 46.6% turnout
(http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_Clerk/elections/2011/ElectionResults_06072011.pdf)
Voting absentee has also been heavily promoted for people that will be out of town for this election.
Regardless of what side you choose, it is in your interest to turn out and vote. If the 20% number of people voting "No" is met, the outcome will be determined by which side got more votes. In other words, it is possible for there to be more than 20% "No" votes and for the bylaw to still stand, if there are more "Yes" votes (in this scenario, turnout would be over 40%).
Even if the 20% threshold is not met, the results of this election will be looked to as an advisory vote by people trying to determine what the will of the voters in Arlington actually is with regards to this issue.
So you should most definately turn out and vote, regardless of your opinion on this issue.
That's it. Let me know if you spot any errors, and be sure and pass this information along to anyone that needs it.
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