Incumbent Moderator Michael Crowley and challenger Adam Dash clashed over concerns about Town Meeting management and the hybrid format at a League of Women Voters forum last week.
The March 25 virtual forum began with pre-recorded videos from 37 of the 95 Town Meeting member candidates. Margaret Coppe then moderated a question-and answer session with nine of the 11 town-wide office seekers. The moderator’s race, the only contested seat, dominated the evening.
Crowley framed his candidacy around continuity.
“I’m running for re-election as town moderator because I believe Town Meeting works best when it’s accessible, well run, and focused on three things: giving people the chance to speak, be heard, and vote,” he said. “That’s democracy at its best.”
Dash cast himself as a reform candidate responding to resident frustration.
“I decided to run for moderator last fall after many Town Meeting members approached me, sharing concerns about how meetings were going, and asking me to step forward,” he said. “If elected, I will be ready on day one to carry out the core responsibilities of the moderator.”
Asked about the Moderator Advisory Committee, Dash said “a great number” of its members reported having no “defined” responsibilities, set terms, or clear goals.
“I don’t want to waste their time,” he said.
Crowley disagreed, saying no committee member shares that view.
“I know also that because of the sheer number of Town Meetings that we’ve had, it hasn’t been possible to do as much of the work that I would like to do with that committee, but I would like to continue [it],” he said. “I think my opponent has missed the fact that, effectively, there was a charter that spelled out how this committee was to operate and this went out to all Town Meeting members.”
Audience member Susanne Croy said she received a postcard supporting Crowley paid for by the state educators’ union and asked whether either candidate had accepted endorsements. Crowley said the mailer “came as a surprise” to both him and the Belmont Education Association.
“I will say that I gladly met with them as a Belmont public interest group as I would gladly meet with any resident or interest group in the community,” he said. “And frankly, I do esteem our educators. That doesn’t mean I have any influence over anything that the educators may care about.”
Crowley added that the association endorsed him because Dash declined to answer its questions.
“I wouldn’t take positions on articles that I don’t think is appropriate for the moderator, which is a unique position in town, because it is not political and needs to be above the fray and out of it,” Dash said. “Of course, I support the teachers, but it’s important for the moderator to be trustworthy and partial and fair.”
Both candidates agreed hybrid Town Meetings should continue but acknowledged the format poses challenges. Dash said remote participants and in-person attendees experience the meetings differently.
“The people at home can’t see the people in the room or can’t hear the points of order spoken from the chairs because, when you’re hybrid – which I tried out myself – all you can hear is the person at the microphone … and when you’re in the room in person, you can’t see who’s in line on Zoom,” he said. “That needs to be blended … I don’t think this is difficult to do.”
Crowley cautioned that the proposed changes would require additional preparation and costs.
“One of the things that we can do that’s not a technological fix is, anytime someone makes a point of order from now on, they have to come to a microphone,” he said. “That’s one way to ensure that everybody online can have the same experience.”
Belmont voters head to the polls April 7. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters can find sample ballots and the League’s voting guide on the town clerk’s page at belmont-ma.gov.