The Charlestown Citizens Alliance Listens!
The following letter was printed in local newspapers in response to letters attacking a former town employee and is shared with us here by the author Bonnie Van Slyke. Bonnie Van Slyke was a member of the Charlestown Town Council for 8 years and is a current candidate for Town Council.
The November election is about 3 months away, and some in Charlestown want to distract attention from important issues by recycling long-debunked whoppers.
For example, one issue of great importance is the financial health of our town. In 2021, the town’s financial health was not in doubt, although, in advance of the 2022 election, there was a political campaign to convince voters that there were major issues.
It is now clear, because it has been shown in three annual audits by three different independent auditors and an in-depth review of the town’s financial functions by a well-respected outside consulting company specializing in these issues that claims of financial malfeasance were bogus.
The financial review of the town’s financial functions found that there had been NO serious financial management problems. It did find that the Finance Department was very small, and the report recommended improvements. The current Town Council majority has ignored these recommendations and has been moving in the wrong direction.
In the 2021 Community Survey, taxpayers were asked what they wanted their elected representatives to prioritize. Most said that protecting our environment and natural resources, keeping taxes low and affordable, preventing the contamination of our groundwater, and maintaining our small-town identity and rural character were the top priorities. In addition, very few said that they wanted resources and time spent on improving or expanding medium- or large-size special events in Ninigret Park.
The excellent candidates for Town Council and Planning Commission who are endorsed by CCA in the upcoming election will listen. They have heard your concerns, and they will work to return Charlestown to the path to long-term sustainability by protecting our natural resources on which our economy and our future depend.
It is obvious that the tales being told are whoppers. Voters would be wise to fact-check EVERYTHING!
Bonnie Van Slyke, the author of this post, is a candidate for Town Council in the 2024 election. She was a member of the Charlestown Town Council from 2014 to 2022. She was the Town Council Liaison to the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Senior Citizens Commission. She is a former officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center, a former Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals in Harvard, MA and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Harvard Conservation Trust. Bonnie is a freelance copy editor, technical writer, and publications specialist. You can learn more about Bonnie on her profile page.
The banner image is a photo of a Great Horned Owlet by John Zoldac. The owl is a symbol of wisdom traced to Greek mythology, where the goddess of wisdom, Athena, was often represented as an owl.
August 19, 2024 @ 5:32 pm
Thanks Bonnie, It is so sad that some political candidates at all levels value winning over truth and facts.
August 13, 2024 @ 2:30 pm
They lied. A truth would have cost them nothing, but the lies cost them everything. In the last election people got to wanting a change so bad that they were willing to trade good government for anything, just so it was different. They got what they got: I hope they are happy with the quality of government they now have.
August 13, 2024 @ 6:37 pm
If they are not, there is a solution. The excellent candidates for Town Council and Planning Commission who are endorsed by CCA in the upcoming election listen. They have the same concerns, and they will work to protect our natural resources upon which our economy and our future depend.