Editorial A kick in the teeth for democracy
Members of the Windham Town Council who voted against sending the proposal to replace the Natchaug School roof to referendum may have operated within the charter, but they also did something no politician should do — ignore the wishes of their constituents.
Full-blown democracy took a kick in the teeth Feb. 12 when Thomas DeVivo, Kevin Donohue, Christel Donahue, Charles Krich, Arnaldo Rivera and Joseph Underwood voted to ignore a petition signed by 262 registered voters who asked for a referendum.
They might argue we have a representative government and the charter indicates a town meeting vote is all that is required.
But that ignores the fact the replacement of the roof has been a controversial issue, originally rejected by the board of finance.
It also ignores the fact members of the council, at their discretion, can and should respond to the requests of their constituents.
The six members who ignored the wishes of the public they represent must think they are in Washington where constituents are regularly ignored in favor of lobbyists and special interests.
Replacement of the roof will cost $1,361,802, with Windham taxpayers expected to pay $315,938 of that amount.
Proponents have argued the town’s share is a small price to pay to repair the roof and have the school available for Natchaug students to return for a few years in the fall.
But the truth is taxpayers are paying the full $1,361,802, since local residents also pay state taxes, only a portion of which is returned to the community.
It is also very unlikely $1,361,802 will be all that has to be spent to keep the Natchaug operating for the next 10 years, allowing the town to qualify for the higher state reimbursement. That sum may turn out to not be enough even for the roof once the old roof is opened up and the condition of the supporting walls is found to be lacking.
The issue should have been decided by all of Windham’s registered voters, not just a small number who could make it to a town meeting.
That is so, because the roof is just the first step in a $ 176 million 10- to 15- year building maintenance plan.
The council has put the town on a financial course it very well may not be able to sustain in future years.
Even Mansfield officials balked at a $67 million school replacement and maintenance plan this year because of the potential impact on the mill rate — and Mansfield is a relatively wealthy town compared to Windham, which still has an unacceptable high rate of unemployment and homelessness.
The argument it was too late to hold a referendum because a number of people had already turned up for a town meeting is nonsense, since all of them would have also turned out to vote if a referendum was held.
Democracy dies one small step at a time and six members of the town council have taken that first one.
Members of the Windham Town Council who voted against sending the proposal to replace the Natchaug School roof to referendum may have operated within the charter, but they also did something no politician should do — ignore the wishes of their constituents.
Full-blown democracy took a kick in the teeth Feb. 12 when Thomas DeVivo, Kevin Donohue, Christel Donahue, Charles Krich, Arnaldo Rivera and Joseph Underwood voted to ignore a petition signed by 262 registered voters who asked for a referendum.
They might argue we have a representative government and the charter indicates a town meeting vote is all that is required.
But that ignores the fact the replacement of the roof has been a controversial issue, originally rejected by the board of finance.
It also ignores the fact members of the council, at their discretion, can and should respond to the requests of their constituents.
The six members who ignored the wishes of the public they represent must think they are in Washington where constituents are regularly ignored in favor of lobbyists and special interests.
Replacement of the roof will cost $1,361,802, with Windham taxpayers expected to pay $315,938 of that amount.
Proponents have argued the town’s share is a small price to pay to repair the roof and have the school available for Natchaug students to return for a few years in the fall.
But the truth is taxpayers are paying the full $1,361,802, since local residents also pay state taxes, only a portion of which is returned to the community.
It is also very unlikely $1,361,802 will be all that has to be spent to keep the Natchaug operating for the next 10 years, allowing the town to qualify for the higher state reimbursement. That sum may turn out to not be enough even for the roof once the old roof is opened up and the condition of the supporting walls is found to be lacking.
The issue should have been decided by all of Windham’s registered voters, not just a small number who could make it to a town meeting.
That is so, because the roof is just the first step in a $ 176 million 10- to 15- year building maintenance plan.
The council has put the town on a financial course it very well may not be able to sustain in future years.
Even Mansfield officials balked at a $67 million school replacement and maintenance plan this year because of the potential impact on the mill rate — and Mansfield is a relatively wealthy town compared to Windham, which still has an unacceptable high rate of unemployment and homelessness.
The argument it was too late to hold a referendum because a number of people had already turned up for a town meeting is nonsense, since all of them would have also turned out to vote if a referendum was held.
Democracy dies one small step at a time and six members of the town council have taken that first one.
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