Letter: Amherst’s Flawed Charter Review Undermines Local Democracy

If we can step back from personal accusations for a moment, I urge everyone to reread Darcy DuMont’s piece on the ongoing charter review, focus on the facts that she accurately summarizes, and consider whether the Charter Review Committee’s retreat – and by extension the entire process beginning with the Town Council’s restrictive charge to the committee and throughout the review to date – fostered the qualities of transparency and democracy that we look for in our town government. Ignoring 200 comments submitted to the League of Women Voters or 50 comments received by the Indy is inconsistent with a democracy that values varied and even conflicting input. Failing to fill a committee seat that lay vacant since January and eliminating the potential to hear another point of view also undercuts a democratic process. When important documents such as the Feedback Subcommittee’s table are not posted prior to the meeting where they will be discussed and voted upon, transparency is undermined. And how can a “retreat” at which votes are taken without identifying individual voters, without ecording the event, or without promptly posting official minutes be considered a transparent process.

As Darcy points out, there will be opportunities for further input, but will they be enough to affect the outcome given the committee’s activities to date? I have my doubts, because the type of flaws that the retreat demonstrated are not isolated to one committee. The retreat is an example of the defects in a government system that allows the few to dominate over the many. We are at a critical point in Amherst politics with a critical election looming. If we truly share the values of democracy and transparency, we have to ask whether our current form of government and the people implementing it are capable of upholding those values. And if not, then it is time to enter into a deeper conversation than the tightly-controlled Charter Review Committee process allows.

Anita Sarro

Anita Sarro is a resident of Amherst and a retired attorney who has reported on Charter Review Committee meetings for the Indy.