I write to urge Amherst Town Meeting to reverify its “no” vote on the school project.
Regardless of the merits of the project, the effort by the proponents of the project has the appearance of a small, vocal group attempting to influence Town Meeting into approving not only a new building, but also a radical change in our school system that half the town did not support in the recent election.
Proponents of the new school appear to mostly want a “do-over” to change the result of two democratic processes – the election and the Town Meeting vote – to get their desired outcome. They are passionate, but they do not persuade.
Asking Town Meeting to change two 50-50 votes into the two-thirds majority vote required for an override is ethically and legally ill-advised and will create a precedent that could harm the town in the future.
Efforts would be better spent looking at a range of alternatives, many of which have been identified by other concerned citizens, in the context of declining school enrollment and continued loss of revenue to charter schools.
At the same time, the town’s ability to finance expansion of the Jones Library, a new DPW facility, and a new fire station should be reviewed carefully, as should the impact of continued development downtown on the potential need for a new parking garage.
Robert Hegner
Amherst
With the second vote by Town Meeting on funding the proposed school building project set for Jan. 30, it is my hope that Town Meeting does not change its vote and approve the project.
The main concern as I see it is the deep divide among the residents of Amherst, as reflected in the November townwide vote. This means that whatever the outcome on Jan. 30, half the town will be upset. In my view, this is not a good basis on which to proceed.
Supporters of the project say that a new building is needed soon. But with so much opposition, wouldn’t it be wiser to wait and come up with a plan that the majority of the town can agree on?
Given the magnitude of this project, all of us want to feel a sense of civic pride when it is completed. So let’s start over and proceed with a proposal that all of us can feel good about.
Lawrence Siddall
Amherst
