When Brenda Eckstrom petitioned to change the Wareham Redevelopment Authority from an appointed board to an elected one at last fall’s Town Meeting, she hoped that her idea would bring more power to the citizens of Wareham. 

Instead, opponents of her petition charged her with trying to take power away from the town administrator and town planner. They are two key parts of the Authority, which is responsible for handling urban renewal projects. Town Meeting voted to cancel Eckstrom’s petition and keep the Authority appointed on Monday, Oct. 24. In her unsuccessful motion for no action on the vote, she said that she meant “no disrespect” to the town administrator or town planner.

“The way that it was written was for them to be ex officio members,” she said, “which means that they do have a voice at the table. I was trying to give people in this town a say about what they want the town to look like.”

The Wareham Redevelopment Authority is currently made up of two members of the Board of Selectmen, the town administrator, the director of planning and community development and the citizen-at-large, a registered voter of the town who is appointed by the Select Board to serve a three-year term. Last year’s vote would have made the Redevelopment Authority consist of seven members. Four would be elected to serve five-year terms, and the other three would be appointed by the Select Board. Proponents of changing the composition of the Redevelopment Authority argued that it would put power in the hands of competent citizens. The vote was commissioned by Sam Corbitt of the Wareham Planning Board, who called the decision “a win-win for Wareham.”

Corbitt successfully argued that appointed members would be more knowledgeable than elected ones would have been, though others disagreed. 

“There are a lot of people in this area who have expertise and a lot to contribute,” said Annie Hayes. “The public should be honored in their expertise and their questions.”

“We have the expertise that we require from the town administrator and town planner,” said Wareham Redevelopment Authority Chair and Citizen-at-Large Dan Butler, “and their votes matter. “What opportunities have been missed because the board has been elected?”

Select Board Chair Judith Whiteside simply said: “Why would we fix it when it ain’t broke?”