To the Editor;
The May 27 Select Board meeting perfectly illustrated why Mattapoisett needs to expand from three to five Select Board members – exactly what Town Meeting voted to support on May 12.
Our current three-member structure now presents critical problems in full display. With only three members, just two individuals can make significant decisions. This concentration of power becomes problematic when those same individuals question a democratic vote simply because some residents left afterward, a phenomenon that has occurred at previous controversial votes without anyone questioning those results.
Our Select Board members maintain full-time jobs while serving, which limits their capacity to grow the town’s priorities. A five-member board would distribute responsibilities more effectively, preventing the delays we’re witnessing with this home rule petition.
Massachusetts Open Meeting Law prohibits a quorum from discussing business outside meetings. With three members, no two can collaborate between meetings. Five members would allow two to work together on solutions, clearly needed given the current board’s handling of Town Meeting directives.
When conflicts necessitate recusals, our three-member board becomes a two-member voting body, potentially creating deadlocks. We’re seeing similar dysfunction as the board questions whether to follow Town Meeting’s clear directive, despite one member previously stating he would “support the will of the citizens at town meeting.”
At least 36 Massachusetts towns have successfully expanded their Select Boards. This isn’t experimental – it’s proven governance improvement.
The current Select Board’s reluctance to move forward with the legislative petition suggests a troubling disconnect from democratic principles. Our community deserves governance that reflects our diversity and addresses our needs efficiently.
The Select Board should honor the Town Meeting’s majority vote. More importantly, this situation perfectly illustrates why we need five members making these decisions, rather than just three.
Jeanne Hopkins, Mattapoisett
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.