5 to 3 - A Sunday Extra

A 5 to 3 score is usually an automatic winner.  Don't know of too many things (outside of a few card games, where less beats more.  Seems to be the numbers a few folks are talking about for town government also. As in 5 selectmen vs. 3 selectmen.

As an aside, at some point the "men" will fall out of disuse in this town, hopefully as more for the reason it wouldn't apply to the person sitting in the seat than for the "PC" arguments that gets raised off and on. there have been a number of women of the years, I would have liked to see run.  Been a few that have actually run.  

Why there haven't been more? One can only guess, and at this point those guesses aren't coming from me.

Would 5 be better than 3?  I am inclined to think so.  One should take a hard look at how it would be set up though.  why?  Take a look at the surrounding communities with a 5 member board and tell me honestly that having a 5 member board has in fact "cured" the ills of a 3 member board.  

Those communities have had some serious issues with "entrenched camps" .  Issues cause "entrenched camps" (the term used by Jack Spillane in today's S-T), not 5 selectmen , not 3 selectmen.  Indeed, if you do in fact follow what goes on in other communities, and have over the years, you may find that there usually develops the same two sides on every hot topic.

I do not say this to speak against the concept of expanding the board.  I think it needs to be seriously looked at, and presently would lean in favor of a proposal, assuming other "change" was implemented.  

I suppose what bugs me is the repeated inference to the fact that a town with 16,000 people some how it is wrong per se to have a 3 member board (wonder just how wrong that makes Framingham with its population and just 5 selectmen?).  The 1970 census info for our town - pop. 16,332.  The 2010 census info for our town - pop. 15,873.  So if the size of the population is the determining factor, I guess we are more than 40 years overdue.  

Whether it is 5, 3, 9 or some other number, it isn't the number that is going to determine how good your government is.  We get back to the old argument of quality vs. quantity.  

Why I do like five however, is the inescapable fact that the potential for representing a broad base of interests does exist.  

Quite honestly though, to simply change the number without looking at the best way to do it would in my mind be a bit scary.  There has to be a serious look at the day to day management of this day, and how to actually strengthen it.  A five member board without other changes will simply add to the problems many are complaining of.  

Think about having one boss at work and all of a sudden you have three.  At least one of which is telling you to do something different than the others.  Now think of having five bosses, all telling you what to do.  This is why companies have an established chain of command.  

No one likes to here it, but government is a business.  Its purpose is to provide the services.  Do you run it under the exact same principles as a public company no.  But to be run effectively, to be run to do the job that it exists to do, there needs to be structure in the organization.

Believe it or not, part of the problems going on right now in town are a result of a lack of "structure".  Some will disagree, and that is fine. Just ask yourself though how many times have you been told, it is not our job or function; it is beyond our control; nothing can be done until the next meeting; only this or that board can handle that.

You won't be able to eliminate every perceived ill, nor implement every desired change.  The laws on the books (state statutes) do provide for certain functions and duties to be implemented by specific boards and committees.  

What can be done is to actually implement a system which allows for actual day to day oversight and authority. 

Yes we can go to five selectmen.  Yes I am inclined to think that we should.  No we shouldn't just do it to do it.  Five vs. three without establishing some firm rules of the game would be a losing proposition in my book.