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Just Partisan Rhetoric

I recently was discussing with some town friends the disappointing board dynamic that I watched at an April 9 Board of Selectman meeting. The topic was awarding the contract to the lowest bidder, Vision Appraisal, to conduct this year’s property revaluation. By state law we are required to conduct a revaluation every five years.

Selectman Al Goldberg (D) questioned the transparency of the process. Three times he used the word “hidden” about not being able to read the request for proposals (RFP) ahead of time. He continued throwing out the word “transparent” even after he was assured by the town’s executive assistant that the process followed was exactly the same one followed five years earlier (when he was also a selectman) and nothing had changed. Selectman Scott Murphy (D) agreed with him and was concerned about not having seen the RFP. When it was pointed out that the RFP is posted on the town website for everyone to read and was hardly hidden, Selectman Murphy stated that he is a volunteer with a full-time job.

This whole unfortunate episode is just plain old partisan politics rearing its ugly head. Buzz words like “transparency” and “hidden information” are just partisan rhetoric that has no place on our local boards. I suggest that every selectman do his or her homework, read his or her agendas, and access the town website and other resources as appropriate and come prepared to every meeting to do the job that we elected them to do.

Madison has a lot on its plate right now and we need our Board of Selectmen working as a team for all of us. These are critical times for our town and we need to put partisan politics aside and work for Madison.

Robert Hale

Madison