ANDOVER — After a turbulent first day of Town Meeting, a noticeably more subdued crowd approved millions of dollars in capital improvements while voting down ballot questions Tuesday night.
Voters struck down two articles that sought to add similar nonbinding ballot questions for the next local election.
The questions would have asked residents their opinion on the town meeting form of government.
Members of a committee that recently studied whether the town should continue with Town Meeting spoke against the articles, saying a ballot vote could undermine the group’s work.
“Town Meeting is where knowledge and perspectives are exchanged,” said Jon Stumpf, chair of the town governance study committee.
Others residents were worried about what the town should do with the results of a survey.
“It robs all of us of the benefits of deliberation and debate,” said committee Vice Chair Dara Obbard. “It could lead to something we won’t have a say in.”
The articles were defeated 266-190 and 268-161.
“Of the people, by the people, for the people,” said Keith Saxon, who advocated for studying if the town should continue to hold Town Meeting.
“We have 26,000 registered voters in Andover,” Saxon said, pointing to the meeting’s low attendance.
The proposal may have elicited a feeling of deja vu for some voters.
At a Special Town Meeting in November, voters approved an article similar to what was rejected at this meeting.
Due to a minor procedural rule, the article was not technically legal, according to town legal counsel Doug Heim, who said ballot questions need to be voted on at a regular Town Meeting, not a Special Town Meeting.
That vote also saw a lot more participation. It was approved 1,181 to 692.
Rather than use their authority to add the question for the election in March, the Select Board decided to throw the article back to voters at this Town Meeting.
The petitioner for the original article proposed the similar article.
This resulted in two articles that sought to achieve a similar aim to the one adopted in November but later found to be invalid.
Some in town think that Andover has outgrown Town Meeting, a form of government where residents come together once or more in a year to vote on legislation, rules and appropriations.
Many have argued the low attendance is evidence of this. Those in favor have said Town Meeting is unique in its ability to give every resident who wants it a direct voice in local government.
Voters approved Article 23, which limits the town staff positions that the Select Board must approve. Before the change, the board had to approve every position, including part-time positions such as lifeguard.
Voters also approved millions of dollars for capital projects, including sidewalk repairs and tree removal.
Residents voted to spend more than $4 million from the town’s general fund for projects related to IT infrastructure and minor storm drainage improvements.
More than $7 million for water and sewer expenses was appropriated with the majority, $6 million, destined for water main replacement and distribution improvement projects.
The full list of articles voted on can be found at andoverma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=945.
The number of voters participating in the later votes that night were fewer than during the previous day or even earlier that night when MBTA zoning was debated.
By Teddy Tauscher | [email protected]
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