People
participating in the
activities of government
is essential to good
government and the delivery
of essential services.
This is particularly
true of local government.
Citizens
can get involved in five basic
ways:
Make your voice heard at hearings
All
local government decisions are
made only after public discussion
at so-called public hearings,
which are by law posted seven
days in advance of the hearing.
Hearings are not to be confused
with public meetings. While the
former are expressly held to gather
public opinion, meetings are not.
While
the law may guarantee
the right to attend
such meetings (board
and council meetings),
it does not guarantee
the right to participate
in them. However, there
is often a time set
aside during these meetings
for public comment.
Initiate
action
Under
the Home Rule provisions
in state law, people may
petition for a referendum
vote on any matter pertaining
solely to their community.
For example, a group of
people in a community
might want to amend the
town charter and revise
the form of government.
But despite the pleas
of many citizens at their
meetings, the selectmen
have refused to act on
their request. The citizens,
therefore, can have a
legal petition drawn up.
If they obtain the required
number of signatures of
eligible voters on the
petition, the selectmen
must set a date for a
vote on the question.
Under state law, the number
of signatures must be
equal to at least 10 percent
of the votes cast in the
town in the last gubernatorial
election. A public hearing
must be held at least
ten days prior to the
vote. If a sufficient
number of people vote
for the proposal, the
citizens have the form
of government they want
for their community.
If
people want to petition for a
referendum vote on a matter pertaining
to their school administrative
district, the petition must be
signed by at least 10 percent
of the voters in the entire district
voting in the last gubernatorial
election.
Vote
Some
citizens argue that voting
at the open town meeting
is intimidating and they
would rather stay away
than raise their hands.
One solution to this
is to request that a written
ballot be taken on a
particular item in the
town warrant. While it
may take more time than
an open show of hands,
it will be a more accurate
count. Some meetings have
gone so far as to rent
electronic ballot counters
in anticipation of written
ballot requests and to
encourage them, in an
effort to speed up the
process.
Written
ballots aside, citizens may also
amend or change articles before
they are voted upon at the open
meeting. However, they may not
amend ordinances; ordinances must
be accepted or rejected as is.
The time for proposing amendments
to proposed ordinances is at the
public hearing. And when a dollar
figure appears in the article
itself, the amount can be accepted
or reduced but it may not be increased.
Volunteer
Be
it volunteering to
serve on the planning
board, recreation or
budget committee or
on the volunteer fire
department, volunteers
play a critical role
in the running of local
government. While some
of the boards - such
as the planning board
- require considerable
knowledge of the law,
you should know that
there are workshops
and manuals available
to your town from the
Maine Municipal Association
to assist you in getting
up-to-speed on the subject.
Other boards and committees
- such as the budget
committee - just require
common sense and an
open mind.
In
recent years, acknowledging that
people cannot commit to attending
regular meetings over a period
of months and years, some municipalities
have sought volunteers to assist
them with specific projects, such
as editing the municipal newsletter
or developing a computer program
for managing town finances or
landscaping around the town office.
If Roberts
Rules of Order are
your forte, you may be interested
in volunteering to moderate your
town meeting.
The
possibilities for volunteering
are endless.
