Saugus Town Manager Scott Crabtree’s announcement urging residents to apply to fill vacancies on eight town boards and committees is a chance for civic-minded volunteers to learn about democracy from the ground up.
Town boards with membership vacancies include the Board of Assessors, Board of Health, Conservation Commission, and Planning Board. Every town board and committee serves an important local function, and the best way to understand the way town government works is to volunteer to serve on one.
Applicants have until Oct. 15 to drop off letters of interest and resumes at the manager’s office on the first floor in Town Hall or email them to [email protected].
It’s difficult to appreciate how much local government depends on volunteers until you become one and serve on a town or city board or committee. Assessors play a vital role in the state-regulated property-tax valuation process. Planning Board and Conservation Commission members review complicated development proposals and are versed in state laws.
Health Board members have spent hours this year and in 2020 understanding the local policy implications contained in state and national COVID-19 recommendations and mandates.
It’s one thing to gripe about town government with your neighbor; it’s quite another to wade into the intricate business laid before a town board and to vote up or down on a proposal or policy.
Boards always include a mix of members who have served the town for years, sometimes decades, and new members interested in serving for a wide variety of reasons.
Crabtree’s board vacancy announcement is a call to arms to residents interested in improving town government and bringing fresh voices to government. We think board membership should parallel town demographics and include a cross-section of residents from a wide variety of local neighborhoods.
It might be a good idea for the town to follow up on the announcement in advance of the Oct. 15 deadline by hosting a one- or two-night “town fair” and inviting town residents to come to Town Hall ― or to a virtual session ― to meet board members and learn about board- and committee-volunteer responsibilities.
After all, the people serving on boards and committees live in local neighborhoods, pay taxes, vote, and go the extra mile on Saugus’ behalf. It’s time for their neighbors and fellow residents to join them.