AMHERST — After 16 months and 60 meetings, the Charter Commission recommended Thursday that a 13-member town council and professional town manager replace Town Meeting and the Select Board.

The commission, established by voters in March 2016 to examine the form of government, agreed to pursue the change by a 5-3 vote, with commissioner Diana Stein abstaining, and bring it to voters next March.

It’s the first proposal to alter the town’s government structure since voters in 2003 and 2005 voted against eliminating Town Meeting in favor of a mayor, town council and professional manager.

Commission Chairman Andy Churchill, who voted with the majority, said the recommendation, if adopted by voters, will enhance citizen participation and accountability by those elected. It also reflects the varied interests in the community, he said.

Churchill was joined in endorsing the proposal by members Tom Fricke, Nick Grabbe, Mandi Jo Hanneke and Irv Rhodes.

Opposing it were Meg Gage, Julia Rueschemeyer and Gerry Weiss.

Eliminating Town Meeting, they argued, will limit residents’ involvement in town government. Gage said it was a difficult decision to cast a “no” vote, but she remains concerned about the influence of money on a smaller government and the role of the business community in pursuing the charter change.

Stein said while she understands she was elected to preserve Town Meeting, the commission’s work has resulted in a good proposal. But she said she would not campaign for or against the measure.

The proposal reflects the change in government that the group Amherst for All sought when it collected signatures to trigger the vote, with 60 percent of voters agreeing to create the commission and establish the study process.

“We think that the commission has met the objectives we’ve outlined,” said Jerry Guidera, a spokesman for the pro-charter group, who was on hand to observe the vote.

While plenty of people in the group are disappointed that a mayor is not part of the proposal, Guidera said he doesn’t think this will stop them from voting in favor of the changes, noting the continued disappointment in Town Meeting, in particular its vote to prevent construction of co-located elementary schools at the Wildwood School site.

“This is good enough,” Guidera said.

Those who appreciate Town Meeting said they worry that concentrating power in a handful of elected officials will lead to more corruption and less accountability.

“The Charter Commission from the get-go has avoided all serious consideration of how Town Meeting currently serves the needs of Amherst residents and taxpayers, and how Town Meeting could serve us even better with, for example, upgraded systems for townwide communications and participation,” said Town Meeting member Kitty Axelson-Berry.

Town Meeting member Richard Bentley said a council would be more easily influenced by those who own real estate in Amherst.

“This might explain why developers and Amherst for All dislike the Town Meeting form of government so intensely,” Bentley said.

The preliminary charter draft will appear in the Aug. 4 Amherst Bulletin and be submitted to the attorney general’s office. The commission will hold a public hearing Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, and there will continue to be other opportunities for feedback. The final proposal is due Sept. 29. The text of that will be the subject of the ballot vote in March.

Churchill wrote in a cover letter why he thinks the proposal should be supported:

“None of us got all that we wanted, but we came together to put forward a proposal that keeps the professional management that many of us value, gives us a legislative body that operates regularly and year-round, builds stronger constituent relationships between voters and their representatives, adds new ways for residents to participate and be heard, and improves communication about what we want our town to look like going forward.”

In the proposal, councilors would be elected at the same time every two years, with two representing each of five wards, and three at-large members. The new precinct map combines the existing 10 precincts to create the wards.

A preliminary election would be held in September 2018 followed by a general election in November 2018, coinciding with gubernatorial election. Then the elections, beginning in November 2019, would be held every two years, and mark the first election for School Committee and library trustees, under the new system.

While rank-choice voting or instant runoff voting is not part of the charter proposal, the commission is directing the council to implement this method by 2021.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.

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