About this site

I had the honor and privilege to be elected to the Select Board in  April of 2008.  Among my goals in seeking this position was to provide as much information as possible about the work of the Select Board, my thoughts on issues and what the whole process looks like from the inside. 

This site is the first step in that effort. 

Since becoming involved in town government two years ago, I have been committed to doing what I could to increase the transparency, accountability and accessibility of the process, because I believe good government requires that.  I started with a blog chronicling my Town Meeting experience, detailing how and why I voted on warrant articles, and hosting a larger discussion through reader comments about how Town Meeting functions.  I then started the inAmherst.com web site, first writing about various goings-on in town, and transitioning to primarily offering detailed coverage of Select Board meetings.  What I learned through that experience inspired me to seek a seat on the Select Board.

Now it’s my challenge and commitment to provide more information about how, what and why the Select Board does what it does, while working collaboratively with my Select Board colleagues to chart a secure course for Amherst.

I welcome your feedback and participation in this effort.

Please comment on the various posts here, or e-mail me at stephanie@okeeffe.com, or e-mail the full Select Board plus a few other people at selectboard@amherstma.gov.

Be aware that this is my personal web site, and is not approved by or affiliated with the Town of Amherst or the Amherst Select Board.  Views expressed here are mine alone or those of the individuals offering comments.  I reserve the right to remove any comment that offends my sensibilities.