WHITMAN – Personnel cuts made in recent days to balance the town’s budget have been upsetting, but debate and discussion were largely in keeping with town officials often-repeated call for respectful discourse.
It went off the rails only once when a personal comment about the school his daughter attends devolved into a shouting match between former Select Board member Randy LaMattina ended with LaMattina being escorted from Town Hall auditorium – and an after-the-fact apology from School Committee member Steve Bois.
Free cash, meanwhile was left anemic by transfers to increase hours of the building inspector – $32,018; and Veterans Service Officer – $13,065, leaving free cash at about $63,000. It had started at a $103,000 balance.
As for the emotionally taxing personnel cuts, the Select Board plans to revisit the proposed cut of two firefighters and other public safety cuts at a fall town meeting.
The cuts proposed to the Fire Department’s budget raised concerns almost as soon as the meeting started.
“We’re talking about a $750,000 loss in revenue if we lose that second ambulance,” one resident said, referring to Fire Chief Timothy Clancy’s opening remarks [see related story]. “That more than makes up for what they were looking for – and they weren’t even looking to increase their budget, it was level-funded. It was less than level funded.”
He reminded people that the Fire Department are the people who are going to respond in emergencies.
seeking level funding
“They’re the ones that are going to take care of our citizens when we need them,” he said. “This is a pretty significant cut to their budget. … If it’s in order, I like to make a motion that we level-fund their budget.”
As he returned to his seat to write out an amendment to level-fund the Fire Department budget again, Resident Bob Kimball said it was his understanding that the Select Board planned to return $100,000 to the Fire Department budget, asking if they didn’t need to make that an amendment, too.
Moderator Michael Seele said there would have to make an amendment, if they wanted to make a change. The amendment was filed and, after a lengthy discussion, the amendment was defeated by a voice vote and the original budget line was adopted.
Select Board member Shawn Kain had said that the funds would be sought at a town meeting in the fall.
“We want to work out a plan with the police and fire chiefs to plan more thoroughly so we can more appropriately work with the Finance Committee,” Kain said. “But we voted to make that a priority and make it happen in the fall.”
The ambulance account has been more healthy than had been projected, and Kain said he felt confident the projections will fall in line with what they are looking for.
“We are taking a small risk, but I feel comfortable with the risk and I want to give it a priority, given the current circumstances,” he said.
The amendment presented, meanwhile, returned the level-funded figure of $4,110,180.
Kain said he appreciated the sentiment of the motion, as the board has prioritized public safety, but they did not want to support the motion at this time to avoid throwing Article 2 out of balance.
“Clearly, if you look this evening, the respect for public safety is not in this budget,” resident Randy LaMattina, a former Select Board chair said, seeking to remind voters what the ambulance reserve account is for.
“Specifically, gear replacement, and purchase of new apparatus,” he said. “A fire truck is supposed to be purchased this year, It actually won’t because it went through the Building and Facilities Committee and then somehow got squashed.”
He argued the way to support the Fire Department would be to “support the amendment and give them the money right now.”
“If they’e going to have to look somewhere else to find it, they’re going to have to find it,” he said. “They have free cash – they can look there.”
Finance concerns
Finance Chair Kathleen Ottina, meanwhile pointed out that the $4,110,180 was the figure approved in the fiscal 2025 budget for the Fire Department, and during the past year.
“The Fire chief didn’t ask for $4,110,000,” she said, “He asked for $3,945,000. This number has no bearing on discussions the Finance Committee had with the Fire Chief and I urge you to vote against this amendment,”
Firefighters’ union president Scott Figgins said he appreciated what the Select Board and Finance Committee were trying to do, but on behalf of his rank-and-file membership. He echoed LaMattina in reminding the Town Meeting that eight years ago voters in that Town Meeting supported an override article – that also passed at the ballot box – for four additional firefighters to handle the increase in call traffic. It was one of only two overrides to pass in Whitman within the past 25 years.
It had been more than 70 years since the department had increases in staffing.
“Every time I come to Town Meeting or go to a Select Board meeting the biggest thing we say is, ‘Let the people speak,’” Figgins said. “We worked in unison with the other departments, we didn’t say a word because we were all going together to this override as one, and the minute the override didn’t pass, money was taken from us and given to another department that is getting a substantial increase. The other departments are also getting an increase or being level-funded.
“We are the only department that is getting cut – and getting a significant cut,” he said, arguing that, in a department with 500 employees, 23 positions is not a significant cut, but with the Fire Department’s roster of 24 positions, the loss of two is significant.
“The voters spoke,” Figgins said of the May 17 ballot question on the override. “They said no. They want the services they pay for, they don’t want them cut.”
During informational meetings on the override, voters were told only one firefighter would be lost if it passed, and now two stand to be cut, according to Figgins.
“Now they’re taking more money from us than what was originally said,” he said. “That is unheard of to us. That is not fair. We always say ‘don’t pit us against each other’ – well, you just did. And we’re standing up for ourselves.”
Resident Tina Mones said people were given clear information that if the override failed there would be cuts.
“When people voted no, they knew they were cutting services to police, to fire and to a lot of departments in town,” she said. “This is what the people said. They said no, so when the Fire Department doesn’t get funded the way they wanted to they should have been out there, getting people to vote yes on the override.”
Town Counsel Peter Sumners said that, in his legal opinion, Article 2 must be balanced and state law does not allow towns to deficit spend.
“It is my understanding that there is not sufficient money in free cash to fund this article, so an appropriation source would have to be identified,” he said.
Kimball said Whitman is a complete town.
“It’s not the Fire Department, it’s not the School Department,” he said, citing the fact, as Mones, had, that 70 percent of voters said no. With the issue slated to be brought before a fall Town Meeting, he argued that the Fire Department is no losing anybody.
“They’re still maintaining the same number of people,” he said. “We’re a complete town. If you want to take this money from here, you tell me, in the article, where you’re going to get the money from because I don’t want it to give it from anybody else. I want them to be as whole as we can. It’s a complete town.”.
Former Town Administrator Frank Lynam noted there had been comments made about the use of free cash and balancing budgets.
“The simple fact is we can no longer raise enough money to fund the services that the residents of Whitman have become accustomed to receiving while we continue to work within the confines of Proposition 2.5,” he read from remarks he made during another Town Meeting debate seven years ago. “Fixed costs continue to rise at a greater rate.”
He had enumerated in 2018 that those costs include many being discussed that night – education, technology, public safety, solid waste, veterans’ services, health, life and liability insurance, county retirement and other post-employment benefits (OPEB).
“We presented a budget that year that relied heavily on free cash,” he said. Something that’s been done year after year. He urged the Town Meeting to approve the budget presented, because that’s what the voters said on May 17.
ZBA Chair John Goldrosen spoke in favor of fully funding another position – that of building inspector – citing the difficulty in keeping experienced people after a nearly 30-percent cut in salary. The current inspector had told Carter that he would likely be seeking employment elsewhere after she called him about the proposed cut to part-time in the full-time position.
“It will be a loss to the town,” he said.
School Committee member – and former member of the Finance Committee – Rosemay Hill cautioned aganst any change that Town Meeting should be wary of making cuts that create or contribute to long-term financial problems, cautioning against any cuts that could create a problem of the inability to create revenue.
“This is another cut that does not make sense to me,” LaMattina said, underscoring that, during his time on the Select Board the Building Inspector was made a full-time position.
“That didn’t just happen arbitrarily because Bob Curran was retiring,” he said. “Mr. Curran, through the course of his career, went above and beyond – well over it – but when the board looked at this, there was a need for a full-time building inspector.”
LaMAttins pointed out that building is not slowing down in Whitman, noting there are several large projects going on at the moment, and building inspections can create revenue, as does the Fire Department through its inspections as well as ambulance receipts.
“Folks, you need to look at what you’re doing,” he said, adding that the Town Meeting was being asked to gut and canibalize all town departments for the benefit of one – the School Department. “This is why we’re at Town Meeting. What the Finance Committee and the Select Board are giving you are suggestions [his emphasis]. The people who sit in this room are the ones who make the budget.”
Goldrosen then made a motion to amend the article by increasing the building inspector salary to $185,650. Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli said that figure does not reflect his salary, but includes all the inspectors in the department.
“This isn’t an easy discussion,” Kain said, noting that Town Meeting is not ideal to cut down the building inspector salary, at this time it appears new growth projections for next year reflect a lower number than this year.
Piccirilli countered that growth may have been slow, but Whitman is about to grow.
The amendment was approved by a vote of 79-47.
Again, Sumners, rose to opine that the budget needs to be balanced and the town cannot deficit spend to pay for salaries.
Hill asked what line did those filing an amendment propose to be the funding source to be, and proposed that the funds be taken from free cash.
Following a huddle by town officials, Goldrosen amended his amendment to raise and appropriate $153,632 and transfer $32,018 from free cash. The amount beyond what the Select Board recommended would come from free cash.
“If the point of this amendment is to restore the building inspector to full time, his salary would have been $99,613,” Ottina said. “The recommendation was to make it a part-time position at $68,000. The difference is $31,613. It may be nit-picking, but we’ve spent months combing through these budgets, so if you want to restore the building inspector to a full-time position, it shouldn’t be $32,018 from free cash, it should be $31,613.”
Both the amendment and the line item were approved by a voice vote.
When the school budget same up for discussion, LaMattina asked how many retirements have there been so far and has excess and deficiency funds been used to help balance the school budget.
Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak said there had been one retirement in November, three teachers retiring and seven paraprofessionals retiring. No excess and deficiency has been used in the budget this year.
“If they would have kicked in E&D in this year, if there had been a push to get that done, we would not be collecting town services,” he said. He then made a motion to amend the article down to $19,417,569. “This is a consistent source of revenue or the schools and they have kicked it in year after year – why is it not being done this year, is my question.”
He had been asked by the moderator to address the Town Meeting through him, rather than turing and addressing the audience as he had already done a few times during the meeting.
“Year after year we were not borrowing against the school budget,” Hill said. “We have our largest building [under construction] that middle school, right now, and we’re borrowing against that school budget and because we had used E&D, it has affected our [bond] ratings. Using E&D was never a good idea, ever.”
She also said voting another amount just kicks the school budget to another Town Meeting.
Szymaniak said that, if the budget were not passed at the Town Meeting, the school district would not have a budget as of July 1, which would lead to a super town meeting of both communities, with the district under a 1/12 budget as of July 1.
“It was challenging to reduce a budget to the number of $4,750,000,” he said. “We were able to do that, the School Committee affirmed that on recommendation by me – 7-3. Three people, actual persons, don’t have jobs as of July 1.”
He’s reduced the athletics budget by $250,000 contingent on user fees, if those fees don’t match the cut, certain sports will not run in the district next year.
“Through the eyes of the state, we are not funding our district appropriately,” Kain said.
School Committee member Steve Bois said he came to the Town Meeting when he heard E&D characterized as “the schools’ free cash,” initially calling out LaMattina by name, but backing off – a bit – when admonished by Seele.
“I don’t think someone who hasn’t had their child, in 13 years, of public schooling has a right to question us, like we’re the problem,” Bois said.
“You want to bring up my daughter?” LaMattina shouted from another microphone stand. “My daughter only went to Whitman public schools…”
“Mr. Bois has the floor,” Seele said from the podium.
“… until the sixth grade,” LaMattina said.
“Mr. LaMattina!” Seele shouted. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to ask you to leave the meeting.”
“… and then we pulled her out because the Whitman-Hanson School District was failing her!” LaMattina continued. “But she’s going back to public education, Steve, she’s going to the U.S. Naval Academy…”
“Mr. LaMattina!” Seele shouted. “[You] be quiet.”
“Folks, do not fall for the fearmongering,” LaMattina continued. “If you notice they’ve done nothing but [unintelligible] this position because they used temporary money for full-time positions. If you want your services back, follow the amendment.”
He was then escorted out of the Town Meeting by Whitman Police officers.
Bois offered his apologies to the LaMattinas. He explained his 30-year job in the Presidential Library system is being cut and he is under strain, he apologized and stepped aside.
Voters rejected the amendment and passed the school budget article.
Other articles
Michelle Winnett of Raynor Avenue, asked why the Select Board’s administrative assistant was the only one in that job category without hours being cut.
“With the volume of work that goes through that office, [it] could not function without an administrative assistant,” Carter said. “We interact with every single town department, and the work goes through there is something that could not be absorbed by the assistant town administrator or the town administrator.”
Another resident asked why the Select Board has a salary line.
Carter emphasized that the Select Board does not receive compensation, but oversees the town administrator, assistant town administrator, administrative assistant, recording secretary and municipal hearing assistant salaries.
The salaries and expense lines of the Technology Department were also questioned as to details concerning cost increases, their qualifications and what steps are in place to mitigate hacking attempts such as the one WHRSD sustained a few years ago.
Technology Director Josh McNeil explained that the assistant technology director’s salary level was aimed at retaining a “highly qualified, highly skilled individual that is way above par in relation to what we’re actually trying to pay him at this point and with all the cyber security situations going on these days – I don’t want to toot our own horn or anything for the town of Whitman – but we probably have two of the best IT individuals, relation to the skill, experience and education.”
The assistant director also holds a master’s degree, state procurement and purchasing certification as well as an ethical hacking certification. The department has also undergone a cyber security audit paid for by Plymouth County, not by direct taxpayer funding. The county provided strong recommendations to WPD officials, which $26,000 included in the expense line will fund,
“We’re still working behind the scenes on a grant,” McNeil said. “If we don’t obtain the grant, then the three copiers we have on the list are not going to be.”

WHITMAN – What to do with the Park Avenue School building?
The Select Board on Tuesday, May 20 discussed whether the town wants to keep the property or is interested in selling it.
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter said a discussion had been held several months ago, but was unsure whether or not to keep it, but needed to determine that in order for the attorney’s office to move forward.
“I think the consensus was … that the town wanted to keep that [property]” Carter said. “It’s a beautiful piece of land – there are rare trees there, and it’s just a beautiful park area, so I think we just want to talk about it again. What could we do with that land, and how could we fund it?”
She mentioned Community Preservation funds as a possible source.
“I asked for this to be added back to the agenda for tonight,” Select Board member Justin Evans said, noting that the consensus was to keep it for some time municipal use so that the lawyers could get the town released from the deed restriction that the land only be used for a school.
“I believe if we could come to a consensus as to what that municipal purpose was, they could move forward and attempt to release it so we could attempt to do something with the land,” he said. “My suggestion would be anything that we could fund with Community Preservation funds because that’s a separate pot of money from the budget, because money is tight.”
Looking into what other towns have done with CPC funds, Evans found that they had been able to fund demolition projects that helped further a recreation or open space project.
“If we had something that met those criteria, we could even borrow against those future CPC funds and start something sooner and get that old school out of the way,” Evans said.
“I love the idea,” said Select Board member Shawn Kain, suggesting that something along the lines of an amphitheater could be used for town recreation entertainment programs. Evans also mentioned potential uses as a dog park, which has been mentioned in town, or park land.
“From what I understand, the building does need to be razed because of the condition that it’s in,” Carter said.
Where ideas for use of the land is concerned, Evans said, “the more specific we can get for counsel, probably the better,” Evans said about potential uses. The historic trees on the site are a plus.
Noting that the property is a beautiful place where she and a lot of residents had gone to school, Select Board member Laura Howe put forward her support for a dog park, but in conjunction with a shelter, “Only because we need one,” she said.
She also noted that police departments and the public are losing touch with each other, so a K-9 or comfort dog unit headquartered on the site, but separate from a shelter wouldbring the police and community together.
Adding the dog park as an extra in that case, would provide some oversight against damage to the property, she said.
Previously conducted survey results will be available at the board’s next meeting to permit more detailed discussion.

HANSON – The Select Board on Tuesday, May 13 voted to take a two-pronged approach to enforcing the town’s “nip” alcohol bottle ban, on the books – but ignored by at least some alcoholic beverage retailers – since Jan. 1.
“The cleanest, best way to proceed would be to move down two tracks,” Town Counsel Matt Provencher told the Select Board. “When you issue a liquor license under Chapter 138, whether it’s a restaurant license or a retail [alcohol] license, you’re acting under power that the state legislature gave to the Select Board … as the licensing authority.”
Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said she would have Town Administrator Lisa Green work on a letter of non-compliance with a timeline of 30 days, after which the board approved the motion.
Those two tracks involve the placement of “reasonable conditions” on the issuance of a license, and the board can issue regulations that apply to licenses issued in the town.
“The first thing you can do is send these folks a notice that, based on their failure to voluntarily comply [with town regulations] … that you’re going to contemplate bringing them in for a hearing to determine whether their licenses need to be modified to include an expressed condition that they’re not allowed to sell nips,” Provencher said.
Licenses already awarded and not due to go into effect because the contracts didn’t have that because the law didn’t go into effect until Jan, 1, 2025.
The board can also issue a notice to hold a public hearing on some regulations that you’re going to adopt,” Provencher said.
“I’d like to do both,” said FitzGerald-Kemmett.
“I think we should do both,” said Committee member Joe Weeks. Member Ed Heal also agreed to that approach.
One of the retailers, Irwin Patel, apparently admitted to selling nips in violation of the ban during discussion of an annual attempt by various residents by citizen’s petition at Town Meeting. A 2024 Town Meeting vote had placed the ban on the books. [See related story]
I don’t care whether we ban nips or not,” said Town Moderator Sean Kealy, who had purchased a nip bottle at Hanson’s Village Mini-mart in April to use as a prop proving at the May 5 Town Meeting that the ban was being ignored. “What bothers me, what really disgusts me, is when people don’t follow the law that this Town Meeting passed.”
Kealy said he would be seeking a conversation with the Select Board about methods of enforcing the ban and for other issues on which Town Meeting took votes.
Town Administrator Lisa Green said she would work with town counsel and we’ll get the regulations together and, if a hearing is held she said she would comply with all of the regulations as far as hearings.”
Provencher said setting up a hearing would involve being authorized to send a letter to retailers noting she is aware that they haven’t been in complete compliance. If they were going to issue a notice of non-compliance hearing to determine whether their license should be modified, suspended or revoked.
Providing the retailers notice of public hearings while the town prepares the Municipal regulations, will include a copy of the proposed regulations, and everyone will have the opportunity to be heard, Provencher said.
“Since we do have this being somewhat of a groundhog day, with the [attempts at repeal] continuing, and there is a potential that somebody Could submit a citizens petition to, yet again, repeal the nip ban,” she basically asked if they believed there was a bylaw.

With all the debate swirling around the Proposition 2.5 override question on Town Election ballots in both Whitman and Hanson, it’s been a comparatively quiet news cycle surrounding the rest of the ballot as residents head to the polls on Saturday, May 17.
There is only one contested seat in either town, and that is between incumbent School Committee members Glen DiGravio and Steven Cloutman vs newcomer Thomas Raffey Jr., in Hanson. DiGravio and Cloutman are both incumbents and Raffey is a newcomer who moved to Hanson in 2020, but who’s wife, Alexandra, a nurse who provides in-home care to disabled veterans, is a 2007 graduate of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. Raffey, an electrician is a member of the IBEW 103, who has also worked for a year as a teacher at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence.
Raffey stated in his candidate announcement to the Express [see page 10] that both he and his wife are committed to giving back to the community.
“My civic involvement—serving on the Hanson Master Plan Subcommittee and currently as Chair of the Hanson Conservation Commission—has provided me with valuable experience in working collaboratively to address the needs of our community,” Raffey stated.
DiGravio and Cloutman, serving his first term on the committee have provided dependable representation to Hanson’s conservative residents on the committee.
While there is only one candidate for Town Clerk, it is worth noting that it’s a race that represents another kind of change, as incumbent Elizabeth Sloan is retiring from the post she has served in for 15 years. Newcomer Jessica Franceschini is on the ballot to succeed Sloan.
Other candidates on the Hanson ballot are: Edwin Heal, running unopposed for Select Board; Anne Merlin for assessor; incumbent Peter Butler for Board of Heath; Justin M. Robertson for Planning Board; incumbent Dianna McDevitt and Pamela French running for Hanson Library Trustee (vote for two); Michael A. Hunter for Hanson Housing Authority; and Gilbert Amado, Don Howard and Kevin R. Perkins are on the ballot for the three available seats on the Water Commissioners.
In Whitman, incumbent Stephanie Blackman, elected last year to fill a vacancy on the School Committee when Fred Small passed away is seeking re-election, as is incumbent Christopher Marks, elected last year to fill the vacated seat of David Forth. Other unopposed School Committee candidates are incumbent Chair Beth Stafford and newcomer Ryan J. Tressel, who said in an announcement to the Express last week that as the parent of an autistic child, Tressel is running, “so that every student, not every family, has had as positive an experience with school as we have.”
Other uncontested races on the Whitman Town Election ballot are: Emily T. Millet, running to fill a vacancy in the office of the Treasuer-Collectors Office.
Incumbent Select Board members Justin Evans and Shawn Kain are running unopposed for re-election; as are Christine McPherson running unopposed for assessor; Lauren A. Kelley and Margaret P. McEwan running for two seats the Library Trustees. Anne M. Holbrook is running for Housing Authority and Adam J. Somerville is seeking a seat on the Planning Board. Jamie L. Rhynd is running for unopposed for the Board of Health.
There is a contested race for a seat on the DPW Commissioner between incumbent Kevin Cleary and Mark A. Poirier and Thomas A. Pistorino.
And, of course, both towns will be voting on a ballot question about overriding the Proposition 2.5 cap on the tax levy to fund town business as well as the W-H Regional School Distrit.
A second ballot question in Whitman again asks residents about changing the Treasurer-Collector position from an elected to an appointed one.

The W-H Regional Agreement Committee on Wednesday, April 16, held further discussions about non-mandated busing, but ended up voting to leave the transportation section as-is for now.
During the session Chair Hillary Kniffen, she asked for feedback on the discussions at its last meeting. In February, she had asked members to present their ideas or opinions about revising that portion of the Regional Agreement.
“I think I know, based on what I’ve watched and seen, but for the record for people who are going to watch this meeting,” she said she’d like to hear them.
Hanson Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said her board has talked about it multiple times.
“The board’s view is that they do not want to present any Regional Agreement that includes this,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we wouldn’t talk about it at some other point, but now is not the point and now is not the time.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett said she felt the committee has made a lot of progress on a number of points (and) some members of her board feel particularly passionate about non-mandated busing, in particular.
“To the point where – we didn’t take an official vote on this, but we did discuss it,” she said. “And I’ve had feedback from people that they wouldn’t even be willing to present any agreement that would include this.”
Kniffen agreed.
“We’ve made a lot of progress with knocking things off and I don’t think that all that work should be in vain,” she said of any effort to revise non-mandated busing regulations now.
Whitman Select Board Justin Evans said he brought it before that board before the last Regional Agreement session.
“They were, as you could imagine, in favor of making the switch and simplifying the transportation assessment process … even if we remove the change in how we assess now, there could still be a benefit to changing the way we send the assessments to the towns,” he said. “Even if the same calculation is performed, including that in the one assessment that gets sent to the towns.”
In that case, even if the amount in dollars were to go up the first year, there wouldn’t be the threat of voting it down.
“I’m focused more on the financial savings,” he said.
Hanson Finance Committee member Steve Amico said his committee has also discussed the issue and “are kind of in concert with the Select Board.”
“It was a discussion, but it wasn’t anything that was in-depth,” he said.
Whitman Finance Chair Kathleen Ottina said that, with a 50-percent rookie committee, so she said she simply informed them that there is a learing curve to understanding transportation costs.
Her committee has also not taken a vote.
Kniffen, who said she attended the last School Committee virtually, said her understanding was that the towns were split.
“I don’t want to make a Regional Agreement where one town feels strongly against something, [and] the other town feels strongly for something, because then it’s not going to go anywhere,” Kniffen said. “I don’t think that’s wise at this point.”
They had already added a provision into the Regional Agreement to look at it every three to five years, and determine of further revisions are neeeded.
“Right now is not the time to say, ‘Oh, and we’re going to add more costs. “That’s not the way to go to get anything sold,” she said. “I’m not comfortable saying, “Oh, we’re going ahead and changing things.”
“No matter how you clean up that language, the end result is convoluted,” Ottina said. “You’ve got one way of assessing mandated costs, and you’ve got a different way of assessing non-mandated costs.”
School Committee member Rosemary Connolly, however, said the message was clear that the message that came back from the School Committee meeting Kniffen referred to was that “they didn’t understand the breakout and the financial impact to the towns,” which is what the School Committee needs to be voting on the breakout and the total financial impact for them to revisit.
She maintained she would not be “budged for a second for political gains.”
Kniffen said the spilt between the towns on the issue was the reason she was not asking for a vote and did not think the RA committee should move forward with it.
“I think to keep insinuating that ‘people from the other town don’t understand,’ is incredibly insulting,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Just because we don’t agree with a proposal doesn’t mean that we don’t understand it.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett maintained that she hasn’t said the issue is “forever off the table,” but there needs to be some recognition – if the towns are supposed to be partners – that Hanson has had “ a very tough pill to swallow” with the change to the statutory assessment formula.
“We can get into whether it should have been done earlier and all that,” she said. “[It] doesn’t really matter because that’s where we’re at now, and I can tell you it will detonate the relationship.”
She said she hears what Connolly is saying and appreciates her passion, but added, “My modus operando is, ‘do you want to be right or do you want to get what you want?’ If you want to be right, beat your breast and go on soapboxes and all that other stuff. If you ultimately want to continue with a partnership … then there does have to be some recognition that you can represent your consitituents, but do it in a way that does no harm.”
She said the $50,000 difference at stake is not a question of bankrupting one town for another.
Ottina said the Regional Agreement Committee has accomplished a lot so far.
“As much as I would like to propose language change for Section 5—Transportation, it’s not going to go anywhere. I’m pragmatic, but down the road we have to be careful about leaving non-mandated busing as a target on the warrant.”
She said it either has to become part of the schools’ operatin budget or, in future years, it’s a sitting duck.