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Must Return Authority

Budgets must determined by taxpayers. Only they know what is affordable and what is unreasonable. Clinton taxpayers repeatedly tell the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance that their proposed budgets are unreasonable and unaffordable, but those elected officials choose to ignore and defy the taxpayers, making only token, minimal reductions. This is unacceptable.

Clinton has a town meeting form of government. Important matters must be decided by the people, not the selfish desires of elected officials. Currently, it’s practically impossible to remove a corrupt, incompetent, or ignorant elected official until the next election. That needs to change. Voters need to be able to request a referendum, by petition with 200 signatures, at any time for removal of any elected official. This would ensure that elected officials represent voters, regardless of their own personal interests, or we’ll get rid of them. This important amendment must be proposed by the Charter Revision Commission and go to vote. I predict it will pass easily. We must return authority to the people, where it belongs.

Until that change is adopted, these elected officials will continue to feel untouchable. They will continue to ignore the will of the taxpayers. Our only recourse will be to continue to vote down their unreasonable proposed budgets.

Vincent Cimino

Clinton