Mary Byrne
More than 260 signatures have been gathered in support of a citizens’ petition for a special Town Meeting next month to consider the question of whether to increase the number of Select Board members from three to five.
According to Carol Berberian, who worked with Paul Joy to collect the signatures, the Select Board now has 45 days to act or call the special Town Meeting. Berberian happens to serve on the Planning Board, and Joy on the Economic Development Committee. Both are Town Meeting members for Precinct 7.
“We feel that a five-person Select Board will improve the governing capacity of the town,” Joy said. “By expanding the board, Belmont can ensure more diverse perspectives and decisions, which ultimately leads to better decision making.”
According to Joy, the petition, which was filed with the Town Clerk’s office Monday afternoon, will be certified by the Town Clerk’s office this week. In total, 262 signatures were collected.
He said the hope is for the meeting to be held on Nov. 18 in conjunction with the special Town Meeting scheduled to consider the MBTA zoning map or maps. Because the warrant for that agenda has already closed, an additional 100 signatures were required to request a meeting on the question.
“I have the utmost respect for the existing Select Board,” said Berberian.
“But sometimes more is more,” Joy said.
The two Precinct 7 residents said a five-member board would be more in line with towns with similar populations to Belmont. Nearby Lexington, Acton, Concord, Reading, and Westford have five-member boards. According to Berberian, a larger Select Board would also ideally improve communication between the board and the community.
Joy said that over the past two weeks, he has collected signatures while at the Farmers Market and at various sporting events.
“Overall, we’re seeing a lot of support from people,” he said.
According to Joy, he met with residents who voted against the measure in 2018, when it was last considered, who are now open to the change. At the time, one of the arguments against the question was that there weren’t enough qualified candidates to fill the seats.
“We have to trust the Belmont voters are willing to participate in local government,” said Joy.
Joy said he has also found that a large portion of the Town Meeting body has changed since 2018. In his precinct alone, there are 26 new members out of a total of 36. Those are 26 voices that now have the opportunity to weigh in, he said.
“We wanted this to be a grassroots effort,” Joy said while also acknowledging that both he and Berberian are on town committees, and also serve as Town Meeting members. “We really wanted to hear directly from our friends and neighbors what they thought. The last two weeks have given us a lot of opportunity to connect with people from across town.”
According to Joy, if the change is supported by a special Town Meeting, it would still require approval by the state Legislature. Per the language of the home rule petition, at the next annual town election following at least 65 days after the effective date of the act, “one additional member shall be elected to an initial two-year term and an additional member shall be elected to a three-year term.” No more than two members would have terms that run concurrently.