The Charlestown Charter Review Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, February 27, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. This group has been working hard and would like citizen input on draft recommendations the group will be making to the Town Council! Drop by Town Hall tomorrow and give your comments. Thanks!
Here is a pdf with the proposed Charter Changes
In a nutshell:
- Voter Approal On Land Acquisition Over $150,000
- Term Limits for Zoning Board members
- Requirement of Public Hearing and Full Disclosure on Contracts, Partnerships, Joint Venture, Legal Arrangement
- Rules on Purchasing Supplies and Materials
- Organization of Town Council Officers
- Requirement of 5-Year Capital Improvement Program
- Two Month Prior Request for Candidates to Serve on Commissions Before Appointment
The Town Charter is not a truck. It does not need a lube job. It does not need a maintenance crew smacking it with a monkey wrench when they have clearly not read the instruction manual.
Why do people think they are being lectured to when someone relates a true story that may be of interest to others? Coming from a family of 12 certain sacrifices had to be made and that included “every” fiscal decision my father had to make. I am sure those decisions hurt, but the family thrived. This story did not say how easy it is today, it says I understand struggling families, evidently better than comfortable politicos in Charlestown.
How can suggesting that the Federal Government start thinking like a parent and make better fiscal decisions, stop spending money on war, patronage, (foreign and domestic), and start thinking about its crumbling infrastructure (its house) and its struggling families, cause a negative reaction?
Evidently the town’s Democrats feel threatened by lowering taxes and being more fiscally responsible. I don’t know how the Republicans or CCA feel about this line of reasoning, only the Democrats have responded negatively.
Sometimes the fox gets out-foxed and has to eat crow. The Progressive Democrats and their roommates, the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee chose to oppose wording changes being opined by the Charter Review Committee on the subject of land purchases or acquisition. As it currently stands, as long as there is any non-Charlestown funding involved in a land transaction, the town may enter into a contract without voter approval. Odd, two little words, “in part” allows this. The Progresssives and their roomies came, saw, and insulted the Charter Review Committee on this question saying that the committee was picking nits.
The Progressives have misinterpreted the charter statement again by saying that the town must go before the voters to purchase the Y-property. Their misinterpretation has resulted in Catherine Collette writing a letter to the Westerly Sun misinforming the reader. Now if Wilfred and his minions had just let the Charter Review Committee do its job, they would have been on the road to voter inclusion. If the Charter Review Committee takes their insults and smears to heart, they may have to wait a long time to get their way.
Whether the land sale goes through or not, the town can thank the Democrats for not reading the charter.
In her letter to the editor, Catherine Collette refers to picking the pockets of the electorate but conveniently forgets that the Homestead Exemption Tax drafted by her CDTC was proposing to do just that. I guess picking pockets is ok as long as its not your pocket being picked.