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Vernon Citizens Get Uppity

I love this.

In a rollicking four hours during which sheriff’s deputies arrived to keep order, the residents took full advantage of a town policy that allows them to make up and approve their own rules at annual meetings. In doing so, they moved more policy in one night than the Town Board has sometimes been able to do in one year, including:

• Ordering destruction within the next 30 days of a wall on town property that police say has shielded suspicious vehicles and sexual activity from view of the main road.

• Changing the makeup of the Plan Commission to include two elected officials rather than having it remain in the form it took under Town Chairman Brian Paff last year with only one elected official - Paff - on it.

• Placing a binding referendum on November’s general election ballot querying locals about whether they’d like to change the town clerk and treasurer positions from elected to appointed.

It’s just great that the citizens are wresting control of their town back.  I had to stifle my laughter at this comment:

Paff was grilled by residents about why he had changed the makeup of the Plan Commission last year. The commission had traditionally included a town supervisor and the town chairman in addition to several residents. But then Paff, who had been the town supervisor on the Plan Commission, became town chairman and the only elected official on the commission. He made a recommendation, which the majority of the board approved, to keep it that way.

“Everything was working fine,” Paff told the residents. “I liked it the way it was.”

I’m sure he did!  

Posted by Owen at 1347 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

1. they moved more policy in one night than the Town Board has sometimes been able to do in one year Not surprising at all.

   I think every unit of government should have a policy like this. The public meeting notice should read: “Every citizen possessing common sense and a gripe is urged to participate…Bureaucrats need not attend.”

   I am reminded of Newt Gingrich and his idea to set aside a day every week to repeal or amend stupid laws that are already on the books.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 12, 2008 at 1736 hrs
   
   
   

2. While it may not make sense in a big city like Milwaukee, for smaller communities, it is great.  I know some school districts allow the citizens to pass or fail a budget and that should be the same in most communities.  It is truly power to the people.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 13, 2008 at 0043 hrs
   
   
   

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