Overcommunication in action

At the recent Clinton candidates night, I spoke about overcommunicating. Tonight’s Annual Town Meeting provided a great example of how aggressive communication with voters and taxpayers could not only prevent misunderstanding, but also get people feeling good about the direction local government is heading in.

The issue in question was Article 18, asking to borrow $350,000 for a consolidated software suite for the town.

For the lay person, that’s a lot of money for software, but everything I’ve heard is that a move like this, if handled correctly, will go a long way toward modernizing Town Hall, enabling interdepartmental communication, and improving transparency.

So why wasn’t that story told ahead of time, instead of leaving voters in the dark until they were asked to vote?

Sure, the article passed, but not before a bunch of great questions: Does this amount include annual fees? Have we settled on a vendor or particular suite of software? Will this new technology work with the computers we have now? Will the Board of Selectmen consider any citizen input, particularly from citizens with experience in information technology, in making its decision on how to spend this $350,000?

What if, instead of leaving this vacuum of misunderstanding, we had gone to the Clinton Item with a story about how this change, this investment, will be good for everyone? What if we had some kind of mechanism in place to share success stories with our taxpayers, so they know we haven’t forgotten their hopes for improved efficiency and transparency?

As I said at candidates night, in order to enact any meaningful change, we’ll need to meet with every stakeholder in town. There will be differences in opinion, but we cannot continue to let opposition and gridlock to take root in miscommunication.

I communicate for a living. That’s what I do. If you elect me to the Board of Selectmen next Monday, June 12, I’ll make sure to tell the good stories coming out of Town Hall, and to share the less-than-great news, too. You deserve to know what’s going on. You deserve to know where your tax dollars are going. You deserve better.