AMHERST — Voters will have an opportunity to get to know the residents interested in representing them as Town Meeting members prior to the March 28 town election.
The policies and procedures subcommittee of the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee is holding a “Meet Your Precinct Town Meeting Candidates” event Saturday. It is the first time the committee is hosting such an event.
Subcommittee chairman Christopher Riddle said the event directly addresses one of the major issues raised by the Charter Commission, which is studying town government, about whether Town Meeting members are adequately doing outreach to their constituents.
The subcommittee was formed last July as a way to get Town Meeting to be more efficient, informed, responsive and accountable.
The event comes as all but one of the town’s 10 precincts will have contested elections for Town Meeting seats, with 28 residents seeking the eight three-year seats available in Precinct 9.
It also supplements other work by the subcommittee, including creating a way for residents to contact their precinct representatives by email through the town website.
All candidates will be at the Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut St., in separate rooms, where they will be able to make an opening statement and answer audience questions. These will be moderated by members of the League of Women Voters of Amherst.
Candidates for office in Precincts 1 through 5 will meet with residents from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., while those in Precincts 6 through 10 will meet with residents from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, candidates for townwide office, including Select Board, School Committee and trustees for Jones Library, are invited to a League of Women Voters sponsored forum March 16 at 7 p.m. at the middle school auditorium.
School Committee candidates will also have a second forum, March 20 at 7 p.m.** Bangs Community Center, large activity room, sponsored by the Amherst NAACP and Coming Together.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.