When he lost his bid for reelection to Town Meeting last year, Neil Wishinsky was ready to call it quits on his decades of public service in the town of Brookline.
“I thought, ok, I’m done with electoral politics. I’ve been there, done that,” Wishinsky, a long-time Town Meeting member and former Select Board chair, said in an interview.
Then when Town Moderator Kate Poverman announced she wasn’t running for reelection, and no one else immediately stepped in to run, Wishinsky couldn’t resist the opportunity to dive back in.
Wishinsky, 68, who has lived in Brookline for 40 years, ran unopposed and was elected as moderator on May 7.
The self-described “government process nerd,” will now lead Town Meeting, Brookline’s 263-person legislative branch, when it meets, typically twice a year in sessions that last several nights.
One of his early tests as moderator in the spring session that starts on May 28 will be to shepherd a controversial resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. The agenda will also include budget debates, administrative items and policy proposals.
In addition to having a solid handle on procedural decisions, such as determining the order in which members debate amendments, this spring’s town meeting will likely also require a human touch. Wishinsky says he’s prepared for both of those tasks.
“Town Meeting is a very structured setting, and the structure really is set up to allow for debate to happen in a controlled way,” Wishinsky said. “What makes Article 19 [the ceasefire warrant article] so challenging to moderate one is the emotions around it.”
The new moderator said his goal is to “set the right tone, and bring the temperature down” to help tamp down emotions and encourage a productive debate.
“I will deem it a success from a process perspective if people walk away saying, OK, that was fairly run and my voice was heard,’ Wishinsky said. “No matter the outcome.”
Poverman, Wishinsky’s predecessor, had worried that debate on a previously proposed resolution related to Israel might cause “violent clashes” outside of Town Meeting. Wishinky said he trusts that the process will run smoothly.
“We haven’t seen any issues with any of the hearings leading up to Town Meeting,” he said. “The petitioners have been very respectful. The opponents have been very respectful. So we’re vigilant, but I’m not worried.”
Overall, Wishinsky said he’s planning to borrow from the style of current assistant moderator Jon Karon.
“He did it with a smile,” Wishinsky said. “That’s going to be my approach.”