Slow Down on Town Manager (Valley News Op-Ed)

To The Editor:

I am writing to urge Norwich residents to vote against Article 16 -- authorizing the creation of a town manager for the Town of Norwich -- on March 6th. The decision to adopt a town manager form of government is a very big step for a small town which should not be taken lightly. Article 16, well-intentioned as it may be, simply has not and cannot receive the careful consideration it deserves before we must vote on it.

This Article was placed on the Town Warning by petition in early January. The fact that such a momentous decision has arisen by petition, rather than through a deliberate and considered debate within the Selectboard should concern us. As a practical matter, placing this particular Article by petition has limited our opportunity to adquately consider its meaning through the time-tested traditions of public debate which have served this town very well throughout its long history.

We are being asked to consider a fundamental change in our form of town government; however, our current Selectboard has not yet had the opportunity to weigh the costs and benefits of such a change, identify its own administrative needs based on its own experience, or even take an official position as a board on the merits of the proposal. Further discussion, drawing upon the collective experience of the many generous and thoughtful volunteers who have kept this town running through the years, is absolutely essential before we decide to fetter ourselves with a statutory town manager. A vote against Article 16 will allow us time to pursue this debate and seek an informed consensus regarding our town's administrative and governmental
needs.

I appreciate the concerns of the author and proponents of this petition and recognize they were motivated by the best of intentions. They deserve credit for having raised the issue. Without their efforts the town's administrative needs might have continued to fester unheeded. The petition's author, in particular, has worked hard to foster this debate and was instrumental in convening an excellent expert panel for the February 7th public forum on this Article. I applaud these efforts and hope they will serve as a good foundation for a broader and more considered debate on the issue in the coming months. Please vote "NO" on Article 16 on March 6th.