Local Government Made Easy

They always say that people don’t vote in or pay attention to local elections or town government, but they never talk about why! Do any of these sound familiar to you?

”I don’t know about any of the candidates or issues.”
”I can’t find where to go to learn about it.”
”I tried to find out, but it was really hard to track down.”
”I don’t even know who to turn to for help.”
”I don’t have time to figure it all out!”

That’s what I want to change. It just seems like the average citizen has to jump through hoops to know what’s going on or how things work, in a government system that’s supposed to be by and for citizens. The only way it’ll change is if some of us step up to start unraveling the mystery and focusing on getting information and tools to residents. That way even someone who never got to learn about civics in school still knows how to participate in their town - because the decisions made at the local level impact you right in your back yard! I’m working hard to find new ways to make it easier for residents to stay in the know and get involved with the town.

Ideas I want to try in my next term:

• Allow the Public more visibility into the Board’s priorities and materials that we use to make important decisions.

• Introduce new ways for residents to stay in contact with the Town while reducing the costs of maintaining the Town’s online presence as the digital landscape shifts.

• Continue to find new ways to attract and retain Town Meeting and Committee volunteers.

• Even EVEN more Town website improvements. While we addressed several things that were on my to-do list and won an award for our website, we can always do more!

  
  And that’s just the start!
  I’ll experiment with which ideas are the most effective, the cheapest, MOST INCLUSIVE, and that make things the easiest for You to get involved and stay informed.