It‚Äôs time for a change around here.  The city charter is in need of revision in many ways ‚Äì but most specifically with respect to elected officials.

There is strong merit in having four-year terms for the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen.  It would cost the taxpayers less money ‚Äì assuming there will finally be a lull in special elections.  It would allow for more long-term changes and more cooperative efforts between the Mayor and the Board.

In the end it would be a long overdue change welcomed by everyone.

There is even stronger merit in eliminating the School Committee as an elected body.  Since Education Reform, all the School Committee can do, really, is negotiate and employ the Superintendent of Schools.

Most people don‚Äôt realize that this body has virtually no powers whatsoever, including over the budget.  We might as well have the presidents of the PTA from each school on this body.

How about the lack of interest from the community in even running for or staying in this elected office?  Look at this year‚Äôs races ‚Äì that‚Äôs right, there aren‚Äôt any for School Committee.  One person is stepping down and only one person pulled papers for the vacant seat.  Talk about automatic election or reelection.  This body should either be dissolved or at the very least changed to an un-elected body.

The City of Boston School Committee is a very effective and more representative body that works more closely with their Superintendent and the other elected bodies in that city than ours does as a separately elected body.

Last but not least, term limits for each elected office.  Four terms at four years per office with a limited pension at the end would be more than enough to keep the ‚Äúcareer politicians‚Äù interested still ‚Äì there‚Äôs no getting around it, so why not embrace it?

The bottom line is ‚Äì this city needs to revamp its elected bodies and ‚Äúembrace the horror‚Äù so to speak, while still encouraging public involvement and interest in running for public office.  We love the smell of napalm in the morning.