One of the key positions on the ballot in the May 6 Town Election is Town Moderator, with two candidates competing for the three-year term. Norfolk’s Town Moderator oversees Town Meeting, ensuring rules are followed, and also appoints residents to the advisory board. Jay Talerman, the current Town Moderator, faces a challenge from John Olivieri. Both candidates agreed to answer some questions for readers of Local Town Pages.

Jason R. Talerman

Why are you running for re-election? I am running because I feel the same as when I was first elected more than a decade ago - that it is important to give back to your community.  I am running because I feel that participation in the democratic process is vital to ensuring the success of our community.  I am running again because I can lend the experience I have gained in more than 30 years as a municipal lawyer to the running of Town Meeting in a clear and efficient manner.  

How do you balance the need for efficient meetings with ensuring all voices are heard? Balancing Town Meeting is a difficult task and demands that you not only understand the complex web of laws and procedures that govern the Town Meeting but that you also can empathize with the voters, who may care deeply about a particular article on the warrant.  During Town Meeting, I make every effort to demystify the process so that people can participate without concern over the application of some arcane rule.  At the same time, Town Meeting is the Town’s legislative assembly, and it is important to apply rules to maintain focus on the matter at hand and to know when the debate has come full circle and people are prepared to vote.  I am sensitive to the length of time that it takes to get through Town Meeting, so I aim to ensure that we complete the Town’s business in a single night, a goal I have achieved with every single meeting in my tenure.

Residents tend to pack the auditorium to vote on some key issues, after which they leave. What are some ideas to have them stick around for other warrant articles? A Moderator has limited authority over what goes into the warrant or the order of the articles on the warrant.  That is the job of the Select Board.  However, I engage with the Select Board and the Town Administrator well in advance of Town Meeting and if I feel a different ordering of the articles is necessary to achieve optimum participation, I let that be known.  Additionally, I spend time before Town Meeting and at Town Meeting engaging with voters so that they feel they have an important stake in the outcome.  After more than a decade of running Norfolk’s Town Meeting, I am gratified that people still feel comfortable speaking with me on the process so that I can become a better Moderator and Town Meeting can become a more welcoming and vibrant event.

John F. Olivieri, Jr.

Why are you running? Over the past several years, our town has endured many changes and a lot of growth. Our residents have been asked year after year to fund large capital projects to accompany our growing town and to modernize infrastructure. Although many of these projects and expenditures were necessary and important, one pervasive theme I hear when I speak with my fellow community members is that discussion around these topics at our Town Meetings was stifled. Many view our Town Meeting as an unwelcoming place that is not open to opposing viewpoints and is quick to shut down commentary that is contradictory to what our town leaders recommend.  It is incredibly important that everyone in town feels their voices are welcome and respected, especially during these pivotal years of change in Norfolk.  For these reasons, I have chosen to run for Town Moderator. 

How do you balance the need for efficient meetings with ensuring all voices are heard? I have been doing a lot of community outreach and what I have heard is that the ideal length of time for Town Meeting is one and a half hours. That goal may be difficult to achieve, as some topics need significant time for questions and discussion before voting. Community members should not be rushed into voting on a $50 million+ budget. We need new ideas to balance a lengthy Town Meeting with the necessity to make sure all voices are heard. One idea would be to provide a town-wide monthly newsletter that provides short updates (e.g. meeting minutes) from each committee and board meeting. This would make staying informed more accessible than sorting through multiple two-hour long meetings each month. Another idea could be to use an online forum (e.g. Google Group or email list) where the community could submit questions and comments to a particular board or committee before Town Meeting. Simple preparation and making information more accessible to busy residents could go a long way in making Town Meeting more efficient while encouraging more participation and attendance.

Residents tend to pack the auditorium to vote on some key issues, after which they leave. What are some ideas to have them stick around for other warrant articles? This is a difficult one, because many residents have limited time and family responsibilities. It doesn’t help that Town Meeting typically falls during spring and fall sports seasons, when many families have packed schedules in the evenings during the week. There is support for Saturday meetings, so that might be an idea worth looking into.  Offering some form of child care may encourage people to stay longer at Town Meeting also. I think being open to community suggestions and not being stuck in the old “this is how it’s always been done” mentality could revitalize how the Town of Norfolk views Town Meeting and would encourage a more active and informed citizenry.