Chelmsford is a town off Interstate 495 just outside of Lowell near the New Hampshire border that, in some ways, is a lot like North Attleboro.

The population is a little larger - about 34,000 compared to North Attleboro's 29,000. Like North, it is run by a traditional town government, with a board of selectmen and representative town meeting.

But if voters drove through Chelmsford now, they'd be shocked. There are the usual signs for people running for selectman and school committee member. There are even signs for people running for - get this - representative town meeting member. And Chelmsford has more RTM members, as they are called, than North Attleboro, 162 to 135.

I've been following North Attleboro town government for more than a quarter of a century, and I can remember seeing only one campaign sign by an RTM candidate. That person won. In fact, it's very rare that anyone who runs for RTM loses because relatively few people want to serve on what serves as North Attleboro's legislature.

In the April 1 election, 73 seats will be up for grabs. Only 30 candidates - or 41 percent of the total - are running. No one is opposed.

And it's been this way as long as I can remember. When I first covered North Attleboro 26 years ago, the head of the RTM coordinating committee, H. Reed Morse, would regularly call me because he couldn't find enough candidates to fill every seat. And, it's only gotten worse. It's time to change. For years I've urged North Attleboro to consider switching to a city form of government. The slow, multi-headed form of government now used by the town, which dates back to an era when it took weeks for America to learn about the end of the Revolutionary War, hardly seems suited to the demands of the Internet, instant information 21st century.

Few people agreed.

But I think everyone can agree that when voters go to the polls, they should have choices. This is America, right, not Cuba?

But in North Attleboro, not only do voters have no choices for RTM, they don't have ANYONE to vote for.

So, if the town is not yet ready to make the leap to a city form of government, then we can at least make RTM work for us.

Here's my plan: After the 2010 census, it appears likely that North Attleboro will need to add a precinct, bringing the total to 10. Instead of electing five members a year in each precinct, let's cut it to two. By state law, RTM members must serve three-year terms and towns with that form of government must have at least 45 RTM members. If each precinct elects two members to three-year terms, that would give the town 60 RTM members - much better than today's 135.

The reduction would do more than pave the way for contested RTM races. Reducing RTM would make representatives more accountable. Who can keep track of how your 15 RTM members vote? And who contacts 15 representatives when they want a say on an issue?

Finally, reducing RTM minimizes conflicts that naturally arise when town employees are elected as town meeting members. At least voters are more likely to have a choice between putting a teacher or a DPW worker or a firefighter (or their relatives) on RTM, or someone who may not have a financial stake in a vote.

I'd love North Attleboro to suddenly have enthusiasm for RTM, like Chelmsford. But it doesn't. It's time to change.

MIKE KIRBY is editor of The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0344 or at mkirby@thesunchronicle.com.