To the Editor;
Why The Young People of Our Community Matter
Every spring, on the second Monday in May, Mattapoisett holds its Annual Town Meeting. The Tuesday of the week following the Annual Town meeting is when Mattapoisett holds its municipal elections. Both events quietly shape our Town’s future. Although traditionally these events haven’t come with the noise and spectacle of national politics, over time it seems that both have become fair game for partisan personal attacks reflecting the political temperature of our country.
Sadly, knowing that these attacks are possible scares qualified young candidates from considering a run for a town seat.
Municipal elections determine who makes decisions about our schools, housing, town infrastructure, public safety, climate resilience and long-term planning. These are not abstract partisan policy debates. They affect whether young families can afford to live here, whether our schools remain strong, whether local businesses thrive and whether our town adapts to a changing climate and economy. Yet year after year, town meeting and local elections tend to draw the lowest turnout, especially among our younger residents.
That disconnect can be costly.
Young adults and families in Mattapoisett, whether they grew up here, moved away, came back to raise their families or moved here for work, live with the consequences of local decisions made every day. Zoning bylaws affect housing availability and cost. School budgets influence property taxes and educational quality. Decisions about coastal management, roads, and public spaces shape the town our younger generation will inherit. When younger voters stay home, they effectively hand those decisions to an older and smaller slice of our population – a population that will not be around to experience the long-term impacts of their decisions.
This is not about blame. This is about opportunity.
As was stressed at last year’s Annual and Special Town Meetings regarding the petition to expand our select board to five members, town meeting and municipal government is the most accessible and pure form of democracy we have. Our residents are far more likely to run into one of our select board members than our Congressional representative. Our local officials and town administrator are accessible locally and at various meetings and are held accountable in real time. One vote in a municipal election or at town meeting carries far more weight than one vote in a state or national election. In close local contests, a handful of votes may decide the outcome of a race.
Young voters often underestimate the power they hold with their voice. There is misperception that local governance is boring or predetermined. In reality, real change happens at town meeting and in municipal elections. As in the case with the expansion of our Select Board to five members, we now have the opportunity to welcome new, diverse voices to the table. We have the opportunity to examine long-standing practices to determine if there is a better way of performing; and most importantly, we have a chance to impact whether our town stagnates or evolves.
Fresh perspectives matter, particularly as Mattapoisett grapples with issues of housing affordability, environmental stewardship and how to remain a vibrant community for residents at all stages of life, not just those who are “legacy” families with familiar names.
If our young residents want Mattapoisett to be a place where they can live, raise their families and remain connected to community life, I urge them to participate in shaping it. Voting and running for a municipal seat is a great start. In May, some of the most impactful positions are up for re-election: 3 select board seats, 1 Mattapoisett School Committee seat, 2 Library Board of Trustee seats, 2 Board of Health seats, Town Clerk and many other but no less important positions.
Mattapoisett’s future will be shaped whether young people participate or not. The question is whether that future will be built with them or without them. I urge the younger residents of our community to consider running for a position, taking a seat at the table to have your voices heard. Every election has consequences. Whether you want to have a say in those consequences will depend on our young people stepping up and making a difference.
January 26, 2026 is your first opportunity to make that happen. Pull papers, run for something and be the difference our Town needs.
Nicki Demakis
Chair, Mattapoisett Democratic Town Committee
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