Amherst, Massachusetts Puts Its New England Style Town Meeting Up For A Vote
Town Hall in Amherst, Massachusetts. Photo by John Phelan from Creative Commons
Residents of Amherst, Massachusetts, will soon vote on whether to put an end to their centuries-old Town Meeting and adopt a new form of government.
The debate hasn’t always been friendly in this most liberal of New England towns.
“These are dark times all across the country,” said Art Keene, an organizer for one of the three groups trying to preserve the town’s current form of government. “Democratic institutions, democratic norms are being actively subverted, and we can see this right here in Amherst.”