I believe that the Select Board made a mistake when it voted (3-to-2) on Sept. 16 to reorganize to oust Mr. [Kevin] Canty as chair.
The stated basis for the majority’s vote was “dissatisfaction with how Canty was running meetings.” As Mr. Canty candidly acknowledged during the board’s discussion, “I can be too rigid on process and procedure. I recognize that some of my colleagues feel that I am too controlling.” However, that is no basis for reorganizing mid-term, instead of waiting until after next May’s election, when a newly constituted board must reorganize.
Mr. [David] Golden, who replaced Mr. Canty as chair, stated that the board had become “dysfunctional.” Instead, it was the board’s decision to oust Mr. Canty that was truly dysfunctional, distracting the board and the citizenry from the many important issues facing the town by focusing instead on a petty personality issue. Ms. [Deb] Iaquinto got it right when she stated that “the Town does not deserve this distraction.”
– Richard M. Serkey