Report of the Town Moderator

At a time when many people are especially frustrated with our governments in Washington, DC and Boston, I believe that Southwick is fortunate to have an open Town Meeting. For Southwick, our Town Meeting serves the same function as Congress in Washington and the Legislature in Boston - it is the legislative branch of our town government. The important difference is that with Town Meeting, any registered voter is entitled to directly represent their personal views and to vote their position. You are your own Congressperson or Legislator.
 

I strongly urge all Southwick voters to exercise their sacred political right to participate in Town Meeting. The more who participate, the stronger our local government will be.  Each of us who attend Town Meeting are very ordinary people, but when many people come together, express their views, learn the facts and then vote their mind, together we can make extraordinary decisions.
 

In town government, the Board of Selectmen are the executive branch of government, equivalent to the President nationally or the governor in Boston. In the United States, our forms of government are based on strong separation of duties between the executive and legislative branches of government - checks and balances - and the Town of Southwick is no different. It is very important that the Town Meeting be strong and express the will of the people in setting budgets, incurring debt and passing by-laws, and in so doing, provide an appropriate check on the Board of Selectmen and the Regional School Committee.
 

The Town Moderator is responsible to the Town Meeting and has no executive duties in Town government. It is an elected town position with two primary responsibilities:
 

1.  To preside over Annual and Special Town Meetings, and to decide all points of order regarding Town Meeting process, and

2.  To appoint the Finance Committee, consisting of seven regular members.
 

I regard my role as making your Town Meeting participation comfortable and productive. I try my best to uncomplicate things, to keep the process fair and to keep things moving. If you ever have a question about Town Meeting procedure, please ask me. I am eager to hear suggestions for improvement of Town Meeting and how to encourage greater attendance.
 

The Finance Committee’s primary responsibility is to study and make a recommendation on all monetary articles that come before Town Meeting. It is a critical part of having a successful open town meeting process, and I greatly appreciate the many hours of honest deliberation that the FinCom invests in fulfilling its responsibilities.
 

I always welcome volunteers who are interested in considering appointment to the Finance Committee. You do not need to be an accountant or a financial person - any voter with good business and/or decisioning skills who is willing to be fair and to invest time in learning the process is a good candidate. I do not distinguish between political affiliations, and usually prefer to appoint individuals who have not previously served in Town Government. My goal is to appoint individuals of diverse backgrounds and interests to this committee. I am especially proud to have a balanced Committee at present, including three very capable women.
 

I always welcome your questions. I can be contacted either by email or 569-9283. Thanks for the opportunity to serve our great Town of Southwick.
 

Respectfully submitted,
 

James N. Putnam, II

Town Moderator