Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz has made the Davis Square Task Force her own personal fiefdom. She runs the meetings, sets the agenda, cancels meetings and reschedules them according to her availability and personal convenience. She brings development plans to the task force that she has already approved and only puts items on the agenda that fit her political philosophy.

In the past, the task force was a citizen’s forum. The Ward 6 alderman only had one section of the agenda, the alderman’s report. Non-elected people created the agenda, chaired the meetings and, in general, ran things.

We never elected officers because we didn’t want anyone to be the face of the task force or for it to be anyone’s political theater. That has changed.

Alderman Gewirtz formed DARBI a business and resident group that was to be a sub committee of the task force. Instead it became its own entity and has diluted the influence of the task force. For years the business community resented the task force, they thought it wasn’t fair to businesses. Now they have their own Davis Square entity and we don’t get to pass judgment on the appropriateness of new Davis Square businesses.

Whatever input we had as the Davis Square Task Force has been diminished and a bright light that has glowed for the past 30 years is going out. The task force that has guided Davis Square from a tired collection of businesses into an example of urban vibrancy, charm and liveliness is dead. Rest in peace Davis Square Task Force we will miss you.

    – Jim Campano