Board of Registrars To Hear Open Meeting Law Complaint On May 24

The Amherst Board of Registrars (BOR) has scheduled a meeting for Monday May 24 at 2 p.m. to hear an Open Meeting Law (OML) complaint from Carol Gray dated May 14, 2021. Gray is the lead organizer in a petition effort to force a referendum on borrowing for the Jones Library renovation and expansion. The meeting will be held over Zoom and can be accessed using the link or phone number below.

https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/81278691094, Or One tap mobile : US: +16468769923, Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592. Webinar ID: 812 7869 1094

The BOR has not provided any details about the complaint. The complaint filed on May 14 appears to be over failure of the BOR to record minutes. Apparently just nine sets of BOR minutes exist since 2006. The voter veto petitioners have requested these minutes in a public records request but have not yet been granted access.  The petition group said that the latest complaint emphasizes that the law requires a public body, such as the BOR, to create and maintain accurate minutes of all its meetings. It notes that at the Board’s meetings on April 21, May 7 and May 10, there was no discussion of Board minutes. 

“The Town of Amherst needs an active, fully local, and independent Board of Registrars, and we appreciate that the Board will meet to acknowledge our most recent complaint,” said petitioner Marla Jamate.  “However, a much more serious issue remains. The signatures of numerous long-term registered voters were wrongfully disqualified after the Board delegated its certification authority to the Town Clerk’s Office on April 21. These Amherst voters were denied their rights to petition local government, and to due process.”  

Jamate said the Board should act to nullify its April 21 meeting, so that the petition signatures can be certified anew.   The initial Open Meeting Law complaint stated that the posted notice for the April 21 meeting was not sufficient for the public to know what would be discussed.

The posted agenda for the May24 meeting  does not indicate whether public comment will be taken.  As was the case with the BOR meeting on May 11, the BOR will elect a temporary chair for “this meeting only”.  At the meeting on May 11, the BOR elected Town Clerk, Sue Audette, an ex-officio member of the Board to chair the meeting.  This elicited a protest from Board member Demetria Shabazz, who called upon the group to elect a chair from the appointed group, rather than Audette, who Shabazz said had a conflict of interest in chairing the meeting. The Open Meeting Law complaint filed by the petition group “involves the Town Clerk,” Shabazz said. 

The BOR heard and dismissed an OML complaint on May 10. That complaint was also, filed by Carol Gray. The only recourse left for Gray and the petitioners would be to forward that complaint to the Attorney General. Thus far the petitioners have not indicated whether they will take further action.