Shelby board looking for best way to get opinions on expanding

Activists would like to go from a three- to five-member board.

A change in government might still come this year for the town of Shelby.

A group of activists forced a vote on expanding the town board from three to five members during the annual meeting in the town last year.

The town’s attorney later determined the move wasn’t properly done. Current town board supervisor, Tim Ehler isn’t ready to be done with the issue, however.

“I would like to, down the road here, make a motion, that we go to an advisory referendum on the ballot in April, so the town can decide if they want to go to a five-person board or not,” Ehler said.

Ehler is one of three Shelby board members. And, while he’s advocating for the referendum, he’s not sure how urgent the town is about it.

“Most of the people I’ve talked to don’t seem to care if it’s a five-person board,” he said. “They’re more worried about the cost of it.

“Shelby’s run for over 150 years as a three-person. So, why would we change it? But, letting the entire town decide, would be how we find out.”

Getting more people’s opinions is what Ehler feels they need to do now.

“We don’t have a way of going to every single person in town and saying, ‘Do you want this or not?'” Ehler said. “You don’t get to 3,900 registered voters unless you go to a ballot.”