This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Politics, Obfuscation, and Disappointment

The Board of Selectmen meeting on Feb. 24 was a display of partisan politics, obfuscation, and disappointment. Having to open the agenda to add an item as important as school and Academy projects was unnecessary.

First, why would you not have an item this important already on the agenda? To try to slide it by the voters. Second, why did bond counsel ready a motion that was not on the agenda? Clearly there was time to add it (you need 24 hour notice), unless you wanted to slide it by.

The vote to set the October date was passed three (Democrats) to one with one abstention, both Republicans.

The Democrats have very loudly made it known that they want Academy School to be a community center, no matter what the town wants, so they plan to have a special referendum with the hope that it passes with low voter turnout. This was done very effectively by the library in the February referendum of 2017 when 18.65 percent of the voters in Madison voted in the referendum and only 14.4 percent approved bonding $9.1 million for the library expansion.

Democrats likely hope for a similar outcome when they have their referendum in October, unless we insist on a re-vote to change it to the date of another, already scheduled election, and save up to $10,000. There are three to choose from: The presidential primaries in April, the budget referendum in May, and the presidential election in November, any of which will draw more electors than an obscure referendum in October.

I call on the Board of Selectmen to reconsider and schedule it with fairness to all at the forefront.

Robert Hale

Madison