Should Framingham's Change Its Form of Government?

Happy Birthday to the Town of Framingham.

Today, June 25, the Town turns 315 years old.

In 2015, there are more than 70,000 people living in Framingham, according to the latest census data.

Last night, about 0.001 percent of the population, or about 70 individuals, met to discuss possibly changing Framingham’s government from a Town Meeting-Selectmen-Town Manager form to another more “efficient” and “accountable” form of government.

It’s time to bring businesses and residents together to study what form of government is needed to bring Framingham into the next century, said former Framingham Selectman Dennis Cardiff, a member of ”Framingham First.”

“Framingham First” is a group of municipal and business leaders looking to form a Charter Commission, which would study forms of government, and make recommendations to voters to approve via a ballot question. The group organized Wednesday night’s public forum. Framingham Patch was the first media outlet to report onFramingham First and its goal of changing how the town operates, earlier this month.

Framingham First organizers also include current Framingham Selectman Jason Smith, former state Rep. John Stefanini, Planning Board Chair Christine Long, Zoning Board Chair Phil Ottivianni, Town Meeting member Janet Leombruno, and Framingham High Class of 2016 President Jake Binnall.

Some of them want a city form of government with a mayor, some want a city form of government with a city manager, and some just say its time for a change, and are not sure what is needed yet.

But all said last night they are looking for a “transparent process,” where all voices will be heard.

The group began gathering signatures last night for the first time to put to a ballot question to voters in April 2016, if they want to create a Charter Commission.

Last night’s forum was attended by many Town Meeting members.

“There might be a quorum of Town Meeting members” joked Chris Slammer who wanted to know more about the charter commission process and the goals of Framingham First.

So what is the timeline and what does each step in the process mean for residents?

First and foremost for Framingham First is to collect signatures of registered voters in Framingham.

State law requires those interested in creating a Charter Commission to collect a minimum 15 percent of the registered voters in town (about 5,375 signatures for Framingham) on a petition.

A group calling themselves Citizens for a Better Framingham fell about 1,000 signatures short in their efforts to create a charter commission two years ago in 2013.

Stefanini said Framingham First plans to collect between 6,000 and 7,500 signatures by Dec. 31, 2015.

If enough signatures are collected and verified by the Town Clerk by that deadline, then in April 2016 voters will see a local ballot question asking if they are in favor of creating a 9-member Charter Commission to study the town’s form of government and to recommend changes. That Commission, if created, after studying forms of government could decide to recommend no changes.

Also in April 2016, voters would elect 9 residents, who have collected a minimum of 50 signatures of registered voters to get on the ballot, to serve on the Charter Commission.

The decision to create a Charter Commission and who to serve on it will be on the same April 2016 ballot for voters, if more than 5,375 signatures are verified.

Last night, only Cardiff said he would definitely run for a commissioner seat.

Framingham Town Meeting member Deb Butler, from Precinct 7, also announced she would run to be a commissioner.

If Voters approve the creation of a Charter Commission, the 9 elected members would then study, in-depth, forms of government and look at what is working in Framingham and what is not.

In December 2016, the Commission would hold a public hearing and afterwards make recommendations.

If the Commission makes a recommendation for a city council, a city manager, to reduce the number of elected Town Meeting members, to increase the number of Framingham Selectmen, or dozens upon dozens of other options, then voters again will have a say at the ballot in April 2017.

In the mean time, Framingham First plans to hold more public forums and hear from more residents on the pros and cons of changing Framingham’s form of government.

“This is just the start,” said Smith. “We plan to hold Precinct and other public meetings throughout 2015.”

Stefanini told the audience “Framingham is a great place.”

He said the town has a lot of people who donate their time but “we could be a better place - I mean a lot better.”

The former state representative said there are a lot of things Framingham does not do very well “because we are clumsy and we don’t have the ability to move on a dime.”

He said there are 55 cities in the Commonwealth. “All are different,” said Stefanini ”but they all have one thing in common. They have a high level of voter accountability.”

“Being a city does not negate unethical behaviors,” said Framingham resident Victoria Felson.

Stefanini explained to the audience while it is legal for elected Town Meeting members to vote on their own raises, or issues that personally affect them, it would be better ethically for Framingham to have a city format that prevents those conflicts.

Felson after listening to the steps and the process of creating a Charter Commission, indicated she didn’t see a downside to creating a Commission. She was undecided on a city format change.

But being a city, Framingham First organizers said has benefits - including access to state leaders and more federal and state grants

Town Meeting member Jake Bajakian said it is annoying that Marlborough a city of about 40,000 people gets more face time with state leadership than Framingham with 70,000 residents and 35,000 voters, because it is a city and Framingham is a town.

Doug Freeman, who ran for Selectman and lost, said Framingham is the “Rodney Dangerfield of municipalities in Massachusetts” and does not get respect.

Having residents have more say in town government was a popular theme last night, but voters involvement in Framingham government hit an all-time low in the last election in April.

• Voters turnout was extremely low in the Town of Framingham election. Only 7 percent of the town’s 35,814 voters cast a ballot in the 18 precincts in town.
• Precinct 17 had the worst voter turnout, with just 11 voters.
• Some Town Meeting seats were won by just one write-in vote cast. Precinct 17 was to have elected 8 new members, and elected none.

Town Meeting member Kevin Crotty, who has served on Town Meeting since 1985, said he got elected the “old-fashion way.” He went door-to-door and met his neighbors and constituents.

He said he doesn’t like it when Town Meeting members are elected by two or three votes.

He also said he doesn’t appreciate Town Meeting members, who show up for a couple of issues and skip out on other sessions of Town Meeting.

“Some people show up for just one article,” said Crotty.

“It’s your duty to show up,” he added.

Town Meeting member Michael Cannon, who said he doesn’t know his neighbors and didn’t go door-to-door to get signatures said he was elected by a ”handful of votes.”

Cannon said Framingham is an incredible complex community.

He said the Town should not rely on a form of government created in the 1700s, referring to Town Meeting.

He said he was in favor of having a conversation on change.

But Town Meeting member Peter Pleshaw said people don’t like change.

But even this new City movement didn’t have representation from all part of Framingham.

Stefanini pointed out that six precincts or one-third of the Town’s precincts were not represented at last night’s meeting.

The room also was filled with more men than women, and lacked the diversity that is Framingham. Only a handful in the room would be considered a minority.

Stefanini said during this process he wants everyone to answer two questions.

#1 – Does our community work?
#2 - Can we be better?

If you think Framingham “can be better and be more than what we are,” then help us form a Charter Commission, said Stefanini.

We are “hoping to bring people out to get them involved,” said Leombruno.

Bill Lynch, who said he knew only three individuals in the room, said the group needs to increase those involved. He suggested every person in the room should bring a friend to the next meeting to learn more about the process.

Sine 1700, Framingham has changed its form of government more than a dozen times.

In the 1950s, Framingham eliminated open Town Meeting and changed to a representative form of Town Meeting, in which each of the town’s 18 Precincts now elect 12 members each.

Back in 1996, 63 percent of Framingham voters agreed to create a charter commission to study the idea of changing Framingham from a town to a city form of government.

But a year later, the when the commission asked voters to adopt a city charter the measure was rejected with only 32 percent of voters supporting the ideas.

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Photos by Petroni Media Company