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Date: 8/27/2015
EAST LONGMEADOW – The Charter Commission voted unanimously at its Aug. 20 meeting to add a seven-member town council at-large form of government to the draft town charter that will come before voters during the April 2016 Town Election.
Charter Commission Chair Dawn Wiezbicki-Starks said the commission voted to include three-year terms for town councilors during its Aug. 6 meeting.
The discussion that took place on Aug. 20 meeting between commission members included whether to adopt a precinct form of town council or members at-large.
Charter Commission member Eric Madison said he had a “change of heart” regarding adopting an at-large form of town council. He previously was in favor of a precinct style of town council during the Aug. 6 meeting.
“Eventually, I think, you’re going to have trouble filling some of the seats from these specifically small areas [with a precinct form of town council],” he added.
Charter Commission member William Fonseca said when he looked at the proposed precinct map he learned that the precincts were not equally populated.
Charter Commission member Larry Levine said he also changed his mind in favor of at-large council members because he believed it would be in the best interest of the entire town.
The commission also voted in favor to allow compensated town employees to serve on the proposed town council.
Prior to the vote, Charter Commission member Russell Denver said he believed the commission shouldn’t exclude individuals because the state has established conflict of interest laws in place already, which “limit the actual conflict of interest.”
Madison disagreed with Denver, stating that his experience working in the Longmeadow Fire Department for 35 years has shown him that the legislative branch of local government must remain neutral during contractual negotiations, which he believes is difficult for a town employee to do.
“In a small town with the small work force that we have in this town, I don’t believe that anybody who’s working a compensated position would remain as unattached to the subject,” he added.
Madison said while he served as Longmeadow’s fire chief, he developed friendships with other department heads. He explained that it would have been difficult to make decisions if he were a member of the legislative body because of these relationships.
Charter Commission member George Kingston said the town council would basically replace Town Meeting and wouldn’t serve as an executive body like the town’s Board of Selectmen does now.
The commission established that supermajority, which consists of five out of seven members, is the only way to reorganize the offices of town council president, vice-president, or clerk. Each of the offices would serve a one-year term in that role.
Levine was the only commissioner to show support for the town adopting a mayoral form of government during discussions regarding the executive branch.
He added that he would like to see a mayor who would preside at town council meetings.
“I’m not totally in that position, but I think the people in the town want someone at the top of the pyramid,” he noted. “If there’s a problem – they oversee everything.”
Kingston said he was not in favor of adopting a mayoral form of government because of scandals that have been the direct result of some mayors.
“There are some mayors that have caused their towns untold damage financially or otherwise by their actions, particularly when they fire people for the wrong reasons and they get sued for millions of dollars,” Kingston added. “Any town these days needs professional management.”
Madison said the commission wouldn’t likely have been established to review the current form of government if not for the conduct of selectmen during recent years.
“What if they were mayor?” Madison added.