Town Government

Town Government

Support of a fair & balance town government.
Position In Brief: 
a. Town Meeting
(1) Measures that implement a public recorded vote of Town Meeting Members.
(2) A time limit for all speakers equitably distributed both pro and con.

(3) A balanced presentation of arguments on warrant articles.

b. Executive Branch
(1) Encourage the efforts of the Committee on Town Organization and Structure to evaluate the Executive branch of Brookline's Government.
(2) Support governmental approaches that would allow the Board of Selectmen to give greater emphasis to comprehensive and long range planning.
(3) The Board of Selectmen should retain their licensing function subject to establishing guidelines upon which to make their decisions.
(4) To make the licensing process more accountable and efficient, a broad-based Town Committee should be established to develop clear guidelines, which could include possible revision of zoning by-laws.
 
c. Fiscal
(1) Provided the need can be documented and the cost justified, support a general override to increase Town operating revenues, and any combination of debt exclusion, capital expenditure exclusion, or general override for funding needed capital improvements to its buildings and equipment.
(2) Support efforts to achieve management and accounting reforms.
Position History: 
a. Town Meeting

Position (1) has been implemented. A League representative was appointed by the Town Moderator to serve on the committee studying this issue. Town Meeting now has a wireless keypad electronic system in place to record individual Town Meeting votes.

b. Executive Branch

(1) The LWVB has supported CTOS from its inception. CTOS studies & makes recommendations on the structure of our town government. The League initially studied the concept of transitioning from an Executive Secretary to Town Administrator form of Govt. and when CTOS recommended the latter, the League agreed and successfully lobbied for it.

(2) LWVB has long urged Town officials to emphasize comprehensive and long range planning. As a result of our long- term planning study, we developed focus groups as part of the League & Town-sponsored "FutureSearch". This in turn led to the mandated Comprehensive Plan being treated as a living document and to the origin of the Brookline Neighborhood Alliance.

c. Fiscal

Early on, LWVB voted to support and lobbied for the new Lincoln School Override. For a May 1995 vote, under this position, the LWVB studied and "documented the need and justified the cost of...", and thus supported, an debt exclusion override vote for expansion of the High School. For the May 2015 vote LWVB decided to remain neutral on the Operational Override and Debt Exclusion Questions and to focus on informing the voters. LWVB conducted one Forum, with both sides represented, three Information Sessions at different locations and, in the Voter's Guide, presented the Ballot Questions and statements from both sides

 
Issues: 
Local Government
League to which this content belongs: 
League of Women Voters of Brookline