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Deserve the Opportunity

Regarding the proposed Clinton town charter revision, I do believe that a full-time town manager would likely be an improvement in the operations of Clinton town government, but my primary impetus in supporting the petition being circulated in Clinton, calling for a referendum to revise our town charter, is that I believe the decision to adopt or reject the proposed charter should not be made by just five individuals, some of whom have a vested interest in the outcome.

This is precisely what happened in July when the majority of our Board of Selectmen voted to deny Clinton’s citizens the right to vote on our charter. The voters of Clinton deserve the opportunity to make that decision for themselves, and the individuals who worked diligently for more than a year to write it deserve better than to have it rejected by a three-to-two vote by the Board of Selectmen.

I care deeply about the natural world; I was employed for more than 30 years as a geologist in the environmental field, and then I taught science in public schools for a few years in New Jersey. After my wife Ellen and I retired and moved to Clinton in 2005, I worked assisting boat yards in New England achieve compliance with state and federal environmental regulations. In June I was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Harbor Commission. My boat has been moored in Clinton Harbor since 2007.

Clinton is our home and I want our town government to operate following the democratic principles. I encourage your readers to sign the petition calling for a referendum on the revised town charter.

Paul B. Dahlgren

Clinton