Local Government Issues Project

Introduction: A great deal of our study of “State and Local Government” deals with the
relationship between the central (federal) government and the states. However, local
government is considered to be the most basic of government units, in that it is the closest, both
in terms of proximity and emphasis, to its citizens. Many of the issues debated and decisions
made by these local bodies directly affect its residents. Issues like: An increase in the property
tax rate; Changing the flow of traffic on a street from two-way to one-way; An overnight “on
street” parking ban; or Closing an elementary school directly affect the quality of life and
pocketbooks of its citizens. The purpose of this exercise is to help you to understand how
decisions are made at the local level and to understand the political considerations that are a
part of those decisions.
Assignment:
1. Choose a municipality. It may be your hometown or one of the communities
near school.
2. Then choose a board, committee or commission in that municipality. Check out
a couple of city or town websites. Newton, Lexington, Burlington, Weston, Waltham,
Watertown, Burlington, and Arlington are all fairly close to school and have worked out well for
students in the past. Look at past meeting agendas and minutes on these websites. Select a
board or committee where there is an ongoing controversy. The Newton School Committee is a
good one because of the $250 million high school – but not everyone should choose that board.
Also Planning Boards and ZBA’s (Zoning Boards of Appeal) are also usually fun – there is always
one guy who wants to add a second story to his house and there is always some abutter who
objects because it will block his or her view. Or better yet, they always want to open a halfway
house for newly released prisoners right in the middle of a residential neighborhood or next to
an elementary school. The more controversial the issue that is before the board, the easier it
will be to write this paper (it will also be more fun for you). A list of some nearby municipalities
and links to their meeting schedules is attached.
3. After choosing a board, committee or commission, your assignment is to attend
one of the body’s meetings. You must go to the meeting – you are NOT to watch it on local
access cable television. Analyze an issue brought before the body by:
a. Completing the Meeting Questionnaire Form, and
b. Prepare a paper, six (6) to eight (8) pages in length that analyzes the
controversy, the positions of the various factions, and the board’s action. In your
analysis, you should consider the following:
2
i. /Who won? Why?
ii. Who lost? Why
iii. Was the board’s decision justified?
iv. Was the board’s decision wise?
v. If you were a member of the board, who you have ruled differently?
Why?
vi. What was the determining issue for you?
vii. Were the parties satisfied? Why?
viii. Is the board’s decision subject to appeal?
Your paper should include a fair amount of research and citations to local newspaper articles, as
well as to The Boston Globe and Boston Herald. The reference librarians should be able to get
you access to the publications electronically. In addition, the paper should conform to the
Guidelines for Written Assignments contained in the syllabus.
Below is a schedule of deliverables for this project

City of Newton http://calendar.newtonma.gov/
City of Newton – School
Committee
http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/calendar/calendar.html
City of Waltham – City
Council
http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/CLERK/COUNCIL/documents/2009_city_council_and_committee.htm
City of Waltham – School
Committee
http://www.walthampublicschools.org/mtg09.pdf
Town of Weston http://weston.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_EV&SEC={636ABCC2-3698-4274-8A89-AB057999315}
Town of Weston – School
Committee
http://weston.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_EV&SEC={636ABCC2-3698-4274-8A89-2AB057999315}
City of Boston – City Council http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/
Town of Lexington http://www.egovlink.com/lexington/events/calendar.asp
Town of Lexington – School
Committee
http://lps.lexingtonma.org/admin/school_committee.html
Town of Watertown http://www.ci.watertown.ma.us/index.aspx?NID=72
Town of Watertown – School
Committee
http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/wp01s/sc/calendar.html

Local Government Issues Project

Introduction: A great deal of our study of “State and Local Government” deals with the
relationship between the central (federal) government and the states. However, local
government is considered to be the most basic of government units, in that it is the closest, both
in terms of proximity and emphasis, to its citizens. Many of the issues debated and decisions
made by these local bodies directly affect its residents. Issues like: An increase in the property
tax rate; Changing the flow of traffic on a street from two-way to one-way; An overnight “on
street” parking ban; or Closing an elementary school directly affect the quality of life and
pocketbooks of its citizens. The purpose of this exercise is to help you to understand how
decisions are made at the local level and to understand the political considerations that are a
part of those decisions.
Assignment:
1. Choose a municipality. It may be your hometown or one of the communities
near school.
2. Then choose a board, committee or commission in that municipality. Check out
a couple of city or town websites. Newton, Lexington, Burlington, Weston, Waltham,
Watertown, Burlington, and Arlington are all fairly close to school and have worked out well for
students in the past. Look at past meeting agendas and minutes on these websites. Select a
board or committee where there is an ongoing controversy. The Newton School Committee is a
good one because of the $250 million high school – but not everyone should choose that board.
Also Planning Boards and ZBA’s (Zoning Boards of Appeal) are also usually fun – there is always
one guy who wants to add a second story to his house and there is always some abutter who
objects because it will block his or her view. Or better yet, they always want to open a halfway
house for newly released prisoners right in the middle of a residential neighborhood or next to
an elementary school. The more controversial the issue that is before the board, the easier it
will be to write this paper (it will also be more fun for you). A list of some nearby municipalities
and links to their meeting schedules is attached.
3. After choosing a board, committee or commission, your assignment is to attend
one of the body’s meetings. You must go to the meeting – you are NOT to watch it on local
access cable television. Analyze an issue brought before the body by:
a. Completing the Meeting Questionnaire Form, and
b. Prepare a paper, six (6) to eight (8) pages in length that analyzes the
controversy, the positions of the various factions, and the board’s action. In your
analysis, you should consider the following:
2
i. /Who won? Why?
ii. Who lost? Why
iii. Was the board’s decision justified?
iv. Was the board’s decision wise?
v. If you were a member of the board, who you have ruled differently?
Why?
vi. What was the determining issue for you?
vii. Were the parties satisfied? Why?
viii. Is the board’s decision subject to appeal?
Your paper should include a fair amount of research and citations to local newspaper articles, as
well as to The Boston Globe and Boston Herald. The reference librarians should be able to get
you access to the publications electronically. In addition, the paper should conform to the
Guidelines for Written Assignments contained in the syllabus.
Below is a schedule of deliverables for this project

City of Newton http://calendar.newtonma.gov/
City of Newton – School
Committee
http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/calendar/calendar.html
City of Waltham – City
Council
http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/CLERK/COUNCIL/documents/2009_city_council_and_committee.htm
City of Waltham – School
Committee
http://www.walthampublicschools.org/mtg09.pdf
Town of Weston http://weston.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_EV&SEC={636ABCC2-3698-4274-8A89-AB057999315}
Town of Weston – School
Committee
http://weston.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_EV&SEC={636ABCC2-3698-4274-8A89-2AB057999315}
City of Boston – City Council http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/
Town of Lexington http://www.egovlink.com/lexington/events/calendar.asp
Town of Lexington – School
Committee
http://lps.lexingtonma.org/admin/school_committee.html
Town of Watertown http://www.ci.watertown.ma.us/index.aspx?NID=72
Town of Watertown – School
Committee
http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/wps/sc/calendar.html