Why Did Dan Muscat Resign from the Charter Review Committee?
Photo: Shutterstock AI generated image
In January of 2024, Dan Muscat applied to be one of the nine members of the Amherst Charter Review Committee. He had never served on a town committee and was enthusiastic to find a committee that sounded interesting. His application stated: “I have a deep belief in the need to find common ground with people – that this is not only an emotional necessity, but also a fundamental antidote to the polarization that runs through both our community, and our country” and “If my communication skills and views of society can be of use in [the Charter Review] effort, I will be happy to bring them to this task”.
Dan Muscat resigned from the Amherst Charter Review Committee in January 2025, shortly after the committee’s meeting on January 16, 2025. While he didn’t state the exact reasons for his resignation, there are some indications of potential frustrations he experienced:
- Muscat had expressed concerns about the clarity of the committee’s scope and authority. He questioned whether the committee’s charge was consistent with state law and believed there should be more clarity that a Charter Review Committee’s scope of review is not limited.
- He advocated for being more direct in addressing community divisions regarding Amherst’s form of government, suggesting that being upfront about these issues would encourage people to open up. He understood that several members of the committee were close allies of the Council President and/or the Town Manager and was concerned that they were trying to control the committee.
- Muscat also raised concerns about the clarity of information provided to the public, emphasizing that any information should clearly state that the scope of review of the committee is not limited.
- Muscat found the town’s control over the committee process surprisingly heavy-handed, and not what he had expected.
After Muscat’s resignation, the committee chair, Julian Hynes, urged other committee members to reach out to Muscat to understand his frustration and reasons for resigning9.
The Town will be posting a vacancy notice soon for his position on the committee.
Editor’s note: This article was written with the assitance of AI.
This is too bad–losing a sincere community volunteer, especially someone new to town committees and eager to serve. As a member of the Amherst League of Women Voters, I attended the sessions run by their review committee and participated in approving/amending the recommendations they put forward. There is plenty of community input if the committee really wants to hear it and take it on board. Did the Charter Review Committee even need to hire a consultant? Is the whole exercise a show, or are they seriously seeking input from the townspeople? Is there anything we can do at this stage in the process? I would hate to see another decade go by before we can correct course again.