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Citizens
plagued by fishy dealings
Editor
Webster Times
August 7, 2002
We wonder who is trying to run the town of Webster,
especially when considering some dubious maneuvers in the last
month
Activity at recent Board of Selectman meetings
indicates it’s possible some other town department is calling the
shots.
Whether the chair is receiving poor advice about
how to conduct proper proceedings, is being controlled, or is
unfamiliar with how to lead the session, remains unclear.
What is clear is that the board has made a couple
of poor decisions.
In one instance, several citizens were prevented
from speaking on an issue, as debate was abruptly terminated.
In another case, a citizen was “escorted” from a
meeting, ostensibly because he was creating a disturbance after
seeking information about a matter, which would cost the town
money. The citizen serves as chair of the town finance committee,
and was taken from the meeting by a police officer in
plainclothes.
In the same time frame, the board, in a split vote,
had appointed that same policeman to the finance committee. There
were objections made to said appointment, primarily involving a
town bylaw which basically says no town employee can serve on that
panel.
A week or so later, the appointee received “special
municipal employee” status by a 3-0 vote of the selectmen. The
status effectively solidified the appointment.
In addition, a couple of days after the citizen’s
escort from the selectman’s meeting, the same policeman-finance
committee appointee filed a criminal complaint against him. The
citizen is charged with disturbing a public meeting. The court
hearing is Aug. 20.
Wait, it gets better. The policeman this past week
requested that his appointment be withdrawn. He wrote, in part,
that he believed his appointment “would never allow the Finance
Committee to regain the positive role it once had.”
At least a majority of the Board of Selectmen
should have considered that, amongst other things, before
initially making the appointment. A minority board viewpoint was
that the appointment was that the appointment created a conflict
of interest.
We agree with that latter assessment.
We also agree with some citizens who have told the
Times they believe there may b a concerted effort to control, or
at least strongly influence, town government by paid leaders of
authority.
There’s a saying that “the fish stink from the head
first.” The question in Webster is who is the head fish?
The town’s leadership ought to stop acting like a
politburo. The mission should be to listen and to serve citizens,
not themselves or some particular interest group. |
