How we grade
A published rubric, applied the same way to every board and every topic.
Photo: Juliancolton · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Neutrality rules
- Every grade links to its source document.
- If something isn’t in the record, we leave it out. Where the record is unclear we say “Not stated in minutes.”
- A grade measures what an item does for the town. It does not say whether we agree with the vote.
- Wording stays neutral: no “stalled,” “pushed through,” or “attacked.”
- Boards are graded as a group: every item is scored as a decision of the board as a whole, for its effect on the town.
- Corrections are logged publicly, with dates.
- Policy proposals are rated separately for evidence and property-rights impact; see the Policy Tracker.
- We grade topics and meetings, never people.
Five duties, each scored 1–5
We grade how well each board upholds its duty to the town. Paperwork problems such as missing roll calls, late minutes, typos, wrong dates, blank vote cells or tally errors are not counted. They are listed separately under “Record notes” on each meeting.
| Duty | Weight | What it asks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Lawful & fair process | 25% | Does the board act within its legal role and treat applicants and residents fairly and consistently? Timely decisions, no undue delay, decisions consistent with the code. |
| D2 | Plan stewardship | 20% | Do decisions advance the goals of the 2022 Comprehensive Plan? (goal code cited) |
| D3 | Resident & property-rights respect | 20% | Does it balance community protection with individual property rights, and avoid burdens that have no evidence basis? Proposals are checked against the Policy Tracker’s precautionary-to-proven scale. |
| D4 | Fiscal responsibility | 15% | Does it protect taxpayers, account for the cost of services, and make growth pay its way? |
| D5 | Moves the town forward | 20% | Does it advance productive improvements (trails, parks, business, housing that pays its way) rather than litigation, complaints or surveillance? |
Topic score = 0.25·D1 + 0.20·D2 + 0.20·D3 + 0.15·D4 + 0.20·D5
Fully upholds its duty; moves Gardiner forward
Serves the town well
Routine; duty met
Duty partly met: delay, unsupported burdens, or little benefit
Works against the town’s interests
Plus/minus marks indicate where a score falls within its band. Consent items (minutes, adjournment, routine escrow releases) are labeled “Routine – C.” Executive sessions held for a lawful, stated purpose are not penalized. All grades are provisional until checked against recordings.
Record notes (not graded)
Each meeting has a grey “Record notes” box listing record-keeping issues, such as tally errors, wrong dates, blank vote cells, missing movers, or minutes not yet posted. They are shown so the record can be corrected. They are not counted in the grade.
Meeting grade and indicators
The meeting grade averages the topic scores, weighted by time when the recording allows (otherwise equal-weight, and we say so). Each report card also shows how many items move the town forward (D5 ≥ 4), litigation or complaint items, Plan goals touched, public engagement, and executive-session time.
Plan goal codes
A · Land use
A-1 rural character · A-2 hamlet vitality, walk/bike links · A-3 complementary neighborhoods · A-4 regional coordination
B · Resources & open space
B-1 water · B-2 ridge & rivers · B-3 conservation network · B-4 farm viability · B-5 public access & trails
C · Sustainable development
C-1 hamlet & commercial growth · C-2 jobs, green economy · C-3 heritage & recreation economy · C-4 housing diversity · C-5 Climate Smart
D · Infrastructure
D-1 sewer · D-2 health & safety · D-3 transportation · D-4 resiliency · D-5 intergovernmental · D-6 parks & recreation
E · Agriculture
E-1 to E-5: farm viability, education, leading sector, next-generation farmers, farm-friendly codes
Board member profiles
Profiles contain only the record: attendance, motions, seconds, votes, issues raised (quoted with links), and disclosures. No character judgments, motives, outside conduct, or social media. Every member has a right of reply, posted unedited.