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The most dangerous phrase in the language is “we’ve always done it this way.”

I have chosen this quote from Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, USN to begin a series of articles on the Greenwich RTM. Admiral Hopper was a pioneer in the computer science field and a role model to many programmers and developers. Owing to the breadth of her accomplishments and her naval rank, she is sometimes referred to as “Amazing Grace”. She was never one to back away from change nor her responsibilities.

Back in May, I posted one idea to help make the RTM more efficient and transparent. While the idea seems a simple and obvious way to eliminate questions about the proceedings of the RTM committees, it would require the RTM itself to enact changes to its own rules. And therein lies the problem.

So, before beginning any discussion of other ideas, we must first establish how the RTM works.

The Representative Town Meeting members shall be the judges of the election and qualifications of their members.

and

The Representative Town Meetings shall exercise exclusively, so far as will conform to the provisions of this Article, all powers vested in the Town, except as otherwise specifically provided by law.

The Town Charter and Ordinances establish the RTM and its authority. Accordingly, the RTM carries the same authority as a town meeting open to all registered voters of the town. The RTM is also the authority when it comes to how it conducts itself. This means it is solely up to the members of the RTM to change the procedures, voting, elections and processes they utilize to conduct the business of the Town. The RTM has the authority to change itself to make conducting the Town’s business more efficient. No single member has any authority to dictate to the members of the RTM.

So why hasn’t the RTM changed as its membership has changed? Why hasn’t the RTM made its processes more efficient and transparent?

“We’ve always done it this way.”