[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by Green's Basin Girl

I think the warrants and articles should be put in the newspaper, such as the Meredith News, before any town meeting or an SB-2 vote. I have been to many town meetings where I was so confused that I didn't vote. There all also many people that just want to hear themselves talk. I get so tired of hearing the same people blow smoke. Many people just want to be front and center and hear themselves talk. I have better things to to do then waste my time listening to them. If we had SB-2 I could vote without wasting my time listening to people talk in circles. It's time to break tradition!

They are printed in the local papers and they have to be posted in a public place, such as the town hall or post office.

Be careful what you wish for with SB-2. I thought it was a good idea at first, too. I have no doubt that people are voting who have no idea what they're really voting for - they get confused by the wording of the articles. Warrant articles should NOT be difficult for the lay-person to understand. I'm with you about wind-bags at some of the meetings - I cringe when some people step up to the mic to speak... but that's part of the process... I also see some people come up with excellent points or questions. By the way - the same wind-bags will be at the Deliberative Session who were at the town meetings - that doesn't change at all. My problem with the Deliberative Session is that out of a town of 4,000+, we're lucky to have 40 voters show up for the event. The amount of apathy people have about voting is appalling...

@Sue-Doe-Nym:

f you can only change the wording at a Deliberative Session BUT you can change a dollar amount, this is the same as a Town Meeting and I want to be able to vote on it. I think I should have an absentee ballot if something as important as changing a large dollarr amount is concerned. I don't think you understand my point.

I do get your point but really... any changes - wording or money - are made at the time of the meeting only - there's no way a ballot could be written that could incorporate ALL of the possible changes that you might get in a meeting. Simply put - there's no way to predict what might happen at a Deliberative Session.

Remember - the money isn't being approved to be raised (set aside by tax payers per the voting outcomes) - only the final amount to be requested is being voted on at the Deliberative Session. The money isn't approved to be raised UNTIL voting day. The articles presented to the voters on voting day would be the ones that are on your absentee ballot. I think you're confusing the approval of the funds to be raised with the request for the amount of funds that is being discussed at the Deliberative Session.

Example - the Fire Dept. wants a new engine and is asking voters to approve $600,000. At the Deliberative Session in February, Joe Voter amends the request (Warrant article) to say $400,000 and Jane Voter seconds the amendment. The voters present at the Deliberative session are polled by the moderator and counted by the Keepers of the Checklist to approve the amendment. For the sake of this example, let's say that the amendment passes by a favorable vote. So, when the voters meet AGAIN in March, they will then vote to raise the $400,000 or not, based on the changes from the Deliberative Session that Joe Voter made and those present agreed on... See, they didn't actually say they were going to set the money aside at the Deliberative Session - they only amended the article to be different than what was presented.

One of the "bonuses" about SB-2 is that when things are amended - whether it's wording or dollar amounts - the time between the Deliberative Session and the actual voting of the articles later is supposed to give people time to review the changes, write editorials and newspaper articles, etc. about the proposed Warrants, and for the printing of the absentee ballots.

Hope that makes sense. Maybe talking with your town clerk will help shed light on the issue for you, too. I've found town clerks to be great resources...