Published in the November 7, 2017 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — A proposal to change the name to the Board of Selectmen to “Town Council” will go to a town-wide ballot in the spring after Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly last night in favor of the change. Because the move requires a change to the Town Charter, it needs both a Town Meeting vote and a town-wide ballot. 

Article 5 featured a lengthy discussion and an unusual move for a vote by paper ballot.

Selectman Ann Santos reminded those in attendance that for most of its 374-year history in Wakefield, the term “selectman” did not include women because women couldn’t vote.

“The word ‘man’ does not include me,” Santos said. “I am not a man.”

She said the change was not for her, but for “the young girl who thinks the Board of Selectmen cannot be for her. Words matter. The world will not end if we call ourselves ‘Town Council.’”

Former Selectman Phyllis Hull agued that the proposed change was being put forth with very little public discussion by the Board of Selectmen. She said that the matter should properly be studied by the Charter Review Committee. She made a motion to table Article 5 and refer the matter to the Charter review Committee.

Under discussion of Hull’s motion, Cindy Schatz of Cordis Street said that it was Town Meeting’s call and not the responsibility of the Charter Review Committee to recommend the change.

Charter Review Committee member Eric Reid said that the committee had “punted” on making a recommendation on the name change. He said that the nine people on the Charter Review Committee were no better equipped to decide the matter than the hundreds at Town Meeting.

Several voters said that while they did not necessarily oppose changing the name, they saw “Town Council” as inordinately confusing given that the the town’s attorney is referred to as “Town Counsel.”

James Lapery of Salem Street pointed out that everyone who ran for election to the office ran under the title “Board of Selectmen.” He made a motion for a paper ballot so that everyone could vote freely without fearing disapproval of a public vote by raised hands.

Under the Town Charter, any vote on a motion for a paper ballot must itself be conducted by paper ballot. If 10 percent of voters want a paper ballot, the vote on the main motion must then be conducted on paper. The vote on having the vote done by paper ballot was 340 opposed to 61 in favor, so the 10 percent threshold was reached to force a paper ballot on the main motion.

But first, the discussion on the main motion continued a while longer.

Robert Curran of Forrester Road asked why individual members couldn’t just be called “selectman” or “selectwoman.” The term “Town Council” was too confusing, he said.

Former Selectman John Carney said that it was important to be inclusive and he supported the change. “The name means nothing,” he said.

Robert E. Vincent of Flanders Lane noted that the U.S. Marine Corps had recently made all their ranks gender neutral and the town should follow their example.

Mark Luca of Water Street said that he would like to have seen a wider consideration of possible alternative names than just a discussion among the Board of Selectmen.

Current Selectman Brian Falvey said that “what matters is that we don’t have a name that’s gender specific or causes people to feel excluded.”

Kate Burbidge of Eaton Street said that it was “important for girls to see example of women in power.”

Sara McCauley of Lake Street said that more than a name change was called for.

“If all we’re doing is changing the name, it’s not going to matter,” she said. She noted that there was a shortage of women scientists and engineers and those titles are not gender specific. She said that more needed to be done to encourage female participation in a variety of fields and endeavors.

The final vote on Article 5, conducted by paper ballot, was 319 in favor of changing the name “Board of Selectmen” to “Town Council.” There were 32 “no” votes. The question will now appear on the April Town Election ballot.

Immediately after the vote on Article 5, a large number of those in attendance left the auditorium.