Quote:
Originally Posted by tis
Although a SB2 town doesn't have a "town meeting" at which they vote on many of the articles, they do have a "deliberative session" before voting day where the taxpayers can become more informed and can propose changes to amendments if they want to. So this is where you have your "exchange of ideas". I agree, it's not easy to find out information, you have to work for it.
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I have seen deliberative sessions in our town with a couple of hundred attending and others with less the 50. Some of that depends upon what's on the town or school warrant.
During the voting session we see between 1300 and 1500 voters (out of ~5900 registered voters) showing up to vote. But I have no idea how well informed they may or may not be when they enter the voting booth. I have no idea how many vote based upon reason and logic and those who vote based upon how they feel. It's a crap shoot.
I have seen town and school budgets rejected by the voters, and I did not disagree with them for doing so. I have seen budgets passed by voters that I thought should have been rejected because they were too loaded with "nice to haves" rather than "need to haves". (I think the problem is that some folks have a problem telling the difference between the two.)
In the end it comes down to what the voters decide. If they don't like the increased taxes their vote created, they have no one to blame but themselves. However, there are still too many of our fellow townsfolk that cannot seem to make the connection between the two.