The following is already posted on another thread on this forum - encouraging "Auntie" to attend the FINAL public HBOE budget meeting and ask her great questions. Questions we all would like the board to answer. I believe it should be a "stand" alone issue.
Auntie three of us agree that YOUR QUESTIONS for the HBOE are GREAT!! We all would like answers to what you posted. I too encourage you to show up at their "last" opened budget discussion and ask the entire board, in public, for an answer. No one responded to my email questions either.
From experience, the first couple of times a person makes a public statement is not easy. The individual looks at the board and realizes that this elected group serves to represent each of us in their decision-making process, most hold a work-position (or own a business) in the real world, some have advanced degrees, most have knowledge of town history, most used and understand "Robert's Rules of Order" as though they have written the book, all have background information that the public doesn't have, etc., etc. Yet, it is a voters right and privilege to participate at meetings and speak out. I personally encourage you to do so too.
Connect to Hebron’s town site on the Internet. Read the meeting minutes and check out the names of volunteers on commissions and study groups. Two things will quickly be realized: what happens at the meetings cannot be captured "fully" in the posted minutes AND some volunteers work on 2-3 committees (at times, simultaneously). Do not let these "professional volunteers" control the direction of our town.
BOTTOM LINE: we need to encourage more voters to speak at meetings and new volunteers to participate on Hebron committees. NEW people will add a different perspective to the discussions.
