Town Meeting is not a Straw Poll

I thought last night’s Special Town Meeting was overall positive despite the emotional stakes. Citizen petitioners presented their case thoughtfully and town officials responded with equally well-reasoned arguments. The discussion was respectful and focused on the merits of the issue, with both sides arguing in good faith for what they believe are the town’s best interests. Regardless of where residents landed, the meeting demonstrated healthy local self-government at work.

That is precisely why the moderator’s characterization of the petition articles as “essentially a straw poll of people who have come out of their homes on a Monday night in February when the temperature is 20 degrees” was so jarring. A gentleman seated behind me audibly gasped and said, “If I had a gavel, I would call the moderator out of order.”

A straw poll implies something informal and easily discounted: a casual measure of opinion more similar to a Facebook survey than a formal act of governance. Town Meeting is not an opinion poll. Even when an article is non-binding, a vote of Town Meeting represents the town’s highest legislative expression. It follows a signature petition, public notice, public debate, and careful deliberation. It also comes at a real cost to the community, in this case, approximately $30,000.

Framing such a vote as a "straw poll" minimizes its seriousness and diminishes the legitimacy of the process itself. It also risks discouraging future participation by suggesting that the outcome carries no weight. Language from the moderator’s chair should clarify the process, not diminish it. Our town invests heavily in civic participation, and the residents who show up, speak, and vote deserve to know that their engagement is being treated with the respect it merits.

Moving forward, I hope the Select Board appreciates the gravity of this Special Town Meeting. Despite the friction of the evening, I remain optimistic that a solution is still possible, one that satisfies all parties and reflects the collective will of our great town.