Town Administrator voices concerns about communication

SWAMPSCOTT — Town Moderator Michael McClung came before the Select Board during their meeting Wednesday evening to voice concerns about the board during its public comment segment.

“The town has heard absolutely nothing from this board about the citizen’s petition filed in early December, with over 200 signatures verified by the town clerk,” McClung said. He added that in hope of avoiding a disorganized Special Town Meeting, he had anticipated hearing discussion from the board regarding the petition.

McClung argued that a Special Town Meeting should have been called by now, citing a provision–Chapter 39, Section 10–of Mass. General Law. “We can only assume that you have taken the extraordinary decision to ignore the existence of this petition,” McClung said.

The remedy of petition to Town Meeting is “one of the most important elements of our democracy, predating even the Declaration of Independence,” said McClung.

“I’m not sure what is gained by turning a deaf ear to more than 200 of your constituents, but I believe it runs the risk of creating a pattern of disrespect by the Select Board toward our town bodies, Town Meeting most particularly,” he said.

McClung also stressed that several town meeting members have inquired about the departure of former Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. “According to the Lynn Item article of December 3, the Town Administrator resigned more than a month ago,” McClung said. “Yet to date residents have heard nothing from the Select Board – not even an acknowledgement that he’d actually departed.”

McClung said the day the news broke of Fitzgerald’s departure, he sent emails to the Select Board, Finance Committee and School Committee over how to move forward to comply with the Town Charter in finding a replacement. He also asked for a possible vote on an interim administrator.

McClung went on to say that discussion and appointment of a new administrator should have occurred in the hours following Fitzgerald’s departure, not more than a month later. “Who has officially been running the Town since then?” he said.

“In short, am not sure what is driving the Select Board’s complete lack of communication and transparency with Town Meeting, town officials, and the public,” McClung said. “But your credibility – our credibility – is suffering as a result.”

This article was originally published by a itemlive.com . Read the Original article here. .