Groton is blessed with many assets: it proudly hosts the Naval Submarine Base; Groton City is the site for the Electric Boat defense manufacturing facility, which is a major economic driver for both the local and state economy, and Mystic serves as a vibrant arts and cultural center for the region.

In addition, the town provides extraordinary services through its excellent libraries, Senior Citizen Center, police, and Parks/Recreation Departments. The children of Groton enjoy an excellent school system that includes many educational choices and opportunities including magnet schools as well as International Baccalaureate courses in grades 6-12. Clearly, the residents of Groton benefit enormously from the wonderful resources of the town.

At the heart of our community is a vibrant New England-style democracy that is best illustrated by the town’s Representative Town Meeting. The 41 members are elected to serve as the voice of their diverse neighborhoods and address a wide range of issues relating to the civic life of the community. The proposed charter changes would eliminate the RTM and concentrate power in the hands of the nine town councilors. The change would remove a vital civic body from the political life of our town; we would no longer be able to share concerns and voice our opinions with the numerous RTM members in our neighborhoods. The changes would effectively end the small town representative democracy that breathes such life and energy into our civic life.

The citizens of Groton are being asked to give up representation on scores of important issues addressed by the RTM in exchange for a once-per year vote on the budget. At their monthly meetings, the RTM deals with numerous issues ranging from economic development to municipal operations. As issues arise, community members share concerns with RTM members and those views are respectfully considered in the civil atmosphere of the RTM meeting. Losing this vital form of representative democracy would be a tragic loss for our community.

As the Groton superintendent of schools, I am well aware of the careful consideration that the RTM members make to the budgets of each town department. Members invest huge amounts of time and energy to understand the details of the budget requests and hold lengthy hearings to ensure the town is best served by the proposed spending plans. I view the RTM members as the elected stewards of the town’s resources; they work diligently to deliver a budget that balances the town’s needs with the taxpayers’ ability to afford those town services.

I strongly endorse the preservation of our local New England-style democracy by rejecting the proposed Charter changes. This diverse community needs to ensure that every voice is represented by maintaining the RTM. We need to conserve our vibrant political discourse by rejecting the proposed charter changes.

Michael H. Graner is the superintendent for Groton Public Schools. The opinions contained are his own.