Making Change Part 2: Direct Action

Influencing decisions made by public officials using letter-writing, email campaigns, phone calls, social media, and attending hearings and meetings are effective methods of achieving change. Direct action is perfect for making change at the local level, where those in charge are often more available and open to listening to their constituents.

Here in Shutesbury, direct action has resulted in positive change in two recent situations, thanks to the participation of many townsfolk.

The first example involved the Shutesbury Fire Department. On June 19, 2018, a post appeared on NextDoor Shutesbury (NDS) announcing the resignation of the Fire Chief and the entire force of firefighters due to stalled contract negotiations between the town and the Fire Chief. The post included a letter sent to the town’s Select Board reflecting rancorous discussions between the parties. The whole department vowed to resign along with the  Chief. 

It’s worth reviewing the NDS thread to see how quickly this issue became more than just a back-and-forth discussion on social media. While a few commenters defended the town’s contract negotiation process as sacrosanct and not up for debate, many more (including yours truly) recognized that a crisis was brewing. 

The issue appeared to be about $5,000 in pay, half of what the Chief requested to bring his salary in line with other contract employees in town. The thread hints at other, more political reasons for the town’s refusal to approve the contract, though they remained rumors and opinion.

Almost immediately, firefighters began circulating a Citizens’ Petition for a Special Town Meeting to discuss funding options for the Chief’s pay increase.

After contacting the Town Administrator and Select Board chair, we were also able to get the issue on the next Select Board meeting agenda. The June 26, 2018 Select Board meeting, held in the Elementary School’s gymnasium, was well attended. Many townspeople stepped up to the microphone to support the Fire Chief and to ask that negotiations continue to resolve the issues between the parties.

The issue continued to simmer on NDS as the Special Town Meeting, set for July 31, approached. Of the two articles on the warrant, the first spoke to the funding of the Fire Chief’s salary. The meeting was opened with the announcement that the parties had reached a settlement, and the Chief would be compensated at his requested rate.

This example is a melding of direct action and the use of a Citizens’ Petition that was propelled by local social media. I believe the ability to quickly communicate with others across town helped get the word out in a timely fashion and to get the required signatures on the petition. NextDoor Shutesbury also assisted with keeping the issue alive long enough to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion.

A more recent example is the vote on Article 2 at the June 12, 2021 Annual Town Meeting. The vote to support the Statutory Assessment Method of regional school funding translates into savings for Shutesbury, which will pay 3.9% less for its share of the regional school budget in fiscal year 2022 than it did in FY 2021.

In years past, Shutesbury was pressured by the other three towns in the regional school system--Amherst, Pelham, and Leverett--to follow the Alternative Assessment Method of funding, which put our town at a disadvantage since it was based upon student enrollment rather than each town’s wealth. Over the years, not using the Statutory Assessment Method has cost Shutesbury taxpayers in excess of $2,250,000.

The new formula changes each town’s contribution to 65% statutory and 35% alternative, a boon to Shutesbury, the least-wealthy of the four towns. This change would not have happened but for a grassroots effort by Shutesbury citizens, spearheaded by the Coalition for an Affordable Shutesbury. The group used an informational campaign to encourage residents to pressure their town leaders to embrace the concept and be more assertive during the four-town negotiations.

Though the change is in effect for fiscal year 2022, it is possible that continued pressure from taxpayers will be needed to extend the agreement beyond this contract year. Eventually, we may be able to push the current 65% of the regional school budget calculated as statutory up to 100%--the method already in use by 72% of Massachusetts regional school districts.