What is the role of a Town Meeting Member in our Community?

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Town of Framingham allows for 216 Town Meeting Members. Twelve are permitted in
each of the 18 precincts. Willie LaBarge is one of our most active and
dedicated members who mentioned in the previous post that there are a number of
open seats in many precincts and encourages people to fill the vacancies.
 
I'd like to hear what others think a Town Meeting member should be:
 
Why does one become a member?
What are the "should" and "should not" motives or behavior be of a Town Meeting
member?
Are there "conflicts of interest" by Town Meeting Members?
What makes some members stand out among others?
Is attending and voting at the Spring and Fall Town Meetings?
What is the importance of Standing Committees?
Should Town Meeting members go beyond Town Meeting and play a role to help
people and be involved in community issues beyond the scope of Town Meeting?
 
There are many other questions and I hope the FramGov community can add to the
questions or will respond.

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My answers:
 
Why does one become a member?
 
I wanted to keep up on how the town is run.
 
 
What are the "should" and "should not" motives or behavior be of a Town Meeting
member?
 
None. I would assume most people who become TMM do so as a one issue candidate.
 
 
 
Are there "conflicts of interest" by Town Meeting Members?
 
Yes. If you're a town employee and voting on your departments budget.
 
What makes some members stand out among others?
 
I always found the people that don't ordinarily speak on any articles are
interesting. My time on TM had several people that always spoke about
articles. I would typically zone them out.
 
 
Is attending and voting at the Spring and Fall Town Meetings?
 
??
 
What is the importance of Standing Committees?
 
My understanding is that standing committees were important once. They
controlled the budgets of the departments they oversaw and were chairman's
personal fiefdoms. Once the town manager act was passed, budgets were
centralized to the town manager and department heads.
 
 
Should Town Meeting members go beyond Town Meeting and play a role to help
people and be involved in community issues beyond the scope of Town Meeting?
 
Personal choice.
 
Rich Shapiro
 
Sent from my iPhone

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All great questions.
Each person runs for town meeting with their own personal motives. Some like
to serve the public. Others have only 1 or 2 issues that they care
about....Some people drop out quickly because they realize being a town meeting
member is NOT a volunteer position....it is a position of being ELECTED...and
you REPRESENT about 3800 people from your precinct. You either represent ---or
you dont ....that is your choice.
 
One of the weaknesses in our system....is that to be a town meeting member and
to VOTE for budget items...it means knowing the issues....and this is the
weakness....it is impossible for most people to be informed about so many
issues. But that is the challenge....I love to serve ...and I love to
negotiate and I love the debate.
Serving on a Standing committee is awesome...because of the depth each
committee is willing to address the issues and try to address the problems. The
discussion at the Ways and Means - that I have been a part of for many years

Rest of post

--are NOT televised and yet this is where most of the debate and discussion and
research is done.
 
If you are a member of Town meeting to solve issues great....In the end it is
issues that affect people...and that is what matters.
Lloyd Kaye
PCT 16 TMM

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