A long time ago (2005), in the last year of my tenure as Framingham Town Manager, I started a blog. It was part of a very basic town website at that time. I wrote regularly in my blog about many different things, sometimes about a specific town government issue and other times about more general thoughts and feelings regarding current events. Blogging was new, no one had heard of Tumbler or Blogspot or WordPress. I liked the emerging blogosphere in 2005, it allowed me to discuss and expound on subjects unfiltered, directly to my constituents. So I am going to used the new and enhanced version to do the same thing again!
A lot has changed in the last decade, blogs are commonplace now and communication through social media rules our world. It is stunning how much our world has changed in ten short years and us along with it. One thing that has not changed during that decade, or for a lot longer period of time, is Framingham's form of government. It last changed twenty years when the Town Manager form of government was added. The foundation of our town government though has not changed in over 300 years!! Town Meeting first met in 1700 and it still meets today. I think the time has come to consider some major changes, to make sure our government evolves like the rest of our world has.
I will say right up front, I am not exactly sure what the solutions are, but I know we need change. I have some ideas for sure, but I want to take the next couple of months to talk about them. I am going to offer my perspective about what works and what does not. I am going to opine as to what I believe the consequences are from some of the disfunction that besets our current form of government. I am going to point out why I think the present inefficiencies cost you money and formulate ideas to fix that.
I hope from this discussion I will get much needed feedback. I hope to be well situated for an important and open minded discussion as a member of the Framingham Charter Commission. Although I have some ideas, I am committed to keeping an open mind about solutions to our challenge. I need your help both in terms of stimulating the discussion and in getting me elected. I hope you will take the opportunity to check out this blog and offer some feedback over the next two months, it will be beneficial to our Town and each one of us.
