Leo Mainelli: An Effective Government Represents The Values Of Its Constituents

The following letter by Leo Mainelli was printed in local newspapers. Mr. Mainelli is President of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance.

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We all know that we have a representative form of government. We cannot be at every Council, Planning, School Committee, or other meeting. Therefore, it is important that we know the values of those who represent us. Representatives who have values similar to ours would be expected to represent our views and to vote the way we would vote most, but not all, the time. There are times when there are legitimate differences between people of similar values, and that is to be expected.

My own values, and those of most of the people with whom I speak in town, are that we live in Charlestown because of the character, ambiance and friendliness of the Town. People appreciate that the town does not have large strip malls, high-rise buildings, large neon signs, heavy traffic and bright lights. They also appreciate the fact that we have open space to view and walk, clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and a jewel of a park at Ninigret Park.

We have reasonable development. Small housing developments are being built on a regular basis, and about 40 newly constructed houses have been built per year for the last 5 years. We have businesses that employ local residents, rather than large big-box stores that might not. Our opposition does not support these same values. Even though they claim they do, their votes and rhetoric show they do not.

For over 10 years, the CCA endorsed, independent Town Councilors and Planning Commission members have guided Charlestown expertly. They have encouraged open, transparent, responsive government and have hired and supported an excellent town administrator and his staff.

A few people have said to me that change is good, and normally I subscribe to that rule. However, when the changes differ from your very core values, they are not good.

I have 50 years of experience in town government serving in many different roles — as Town Selectman, as a member of planning and zoning boards, and as member of charter revision and personnel search committees — in Connecticut and Charlestown. The CCA endorsed, independent officials and the town administrator in Charlestown are as good as any I have ever experienced.

Our slate of independent candidates consists of highly competent, experienced people and very well-qualified new people whom I feel confident, because of their values and views, will continue to maintain the character and low tax rate of Charlestown, while at the same time will be open to reasonable new development and other ideas. Visit the CCA website at CharlestownCitizens.org, or our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/CharlestownCitizens, to learn more about them.

I urge you to vote for these independent candidates. Candidates for Planning Commission are Walter Mahony, Carol Ann Mossa and Lisa Marie St. Godard. The independent candidates for Town Council, who appear at the bottom of the ballot this year, are Susan Cooper, Ann Owen, Peter Gardner, Joshua Vallee, and David Wilkinson. Finally, for School Committee, they are Donna Chambers, Craig Louzon and Linda Lyall.