Vote yes to remove the discriminatory ban on town and school employees from serving on the Yarmouth Town Council. A 2018 charter amendment eliminated candidates for council who were employed by the town or school, including those who did minimal work like teaching at Community Services or coaching a team, because they might have a conflict of interest.

But in a small town, few residents do not have any conflicts. The homeowner who considers zoning changes in their neighborhood or the business owner voting to replace the sidewalks in front of his/her store both face a conflict. If we eliminated everyone with a potential conflict from serving, we would have few people left to serve.

Recognizing this, the state developed conflict-of-interest rules, requiring officeholders to recuse themselves when they have conflicts. Those rules apply in Yarmouth. We do not need a special ban for some citizens. Thanks for your attention to this important matter

Nancy Green
Yarmouth