Question 13 seeks to reduce the members of the Tiverton Planning Board from nine to seven. This is a bad idea.

The planning board needs members with a wide variety of professional backgrounds in fields such as engineering, architecture, landscaping, and construction, among others, as well as members who live in different areas of town and who have different life experiences. This diversity is easier to achieve with more members rather than fewer. If only six seats are filled, as is currently the case, the quorum needed to conduct business is reduced to reflect the lower number of members, so four instead of the five required when all nine seats are filled.

Let’s encourage more people to get involved in shaping the future of our town rather than shutting would-be applicants out. Vote No on question 13.

Carol Herrmann

Gayle Lawrence

Susan Anderson

Ron Marsh

Tiverton