I recently moved back to the area, telling my friends and family they had to visit because this summer is the 250th Anniversary of our nation and Plymouth is “America’s Hometown” so we should have some amazing events.
They did…but Plymouth didn’t.
Brewster Gardens under construction.
Water St under construction.
The Grist Mill under construction.
Long Beach parking under construction.
Businesses shuttered on Court St.
Poison Ivy along the beach accesses near Nelson Park and Robbins Rd.
Fireworks that were “meh” (a drone show would have been amazing).
A Plymouth 250th Commemoration Committee that was created at some point but didn’t have people or its first meeting until April 2026.
To me this all demonstrates a lack of long-term planning, which is an essential element of local government. I see that our full-time Town Manager makes more than the Mayor of Boston. The same Town Manager that recently blamed everyone else for failure of oversight of historic building grants, which as far as I can tell is his job.
I see a part-time Select Board that embarrassingly bickers in public, not working together for the good of Plymouth. I have seen appointed part-time Committee and Commission members who meet once a week and don’t feel bound to vote in accordance with Town Policies (or don’t know them…still bad). All of this is happening under a hundreds-of-years-old Representational Town Meeting structure that meets only twice a year to make major legislative and fiscal decisions.
This summer should have been picture perfect. And while the historical societies and museums and some businesses thoughtfully tailored their offerings to highlight the 250th. Overall, our town failed to ensure our normal attractions were accessible, and this summer didn’t feel special.
It is time to bring our historic, but underperforming system of local government into the 21st Century. We need a full-time Mayor/Town Manager overseeing a full-time Town Council. Other towns have made the change (Weymouth, Framingham) and were able to actually lower the residential tax rate.
It’s too late to make this historic summer something spectacular, but I’d be happy with a more responsive, full-time local government that allows Plymouth to be more fiscally responsible and better plan for our long-term future.
Susan Nilsen
7 Allerton St
Plymouth MA