Controversial Town Meeting Measure Passes

The town of Seekonk's legal consultant , but the town meeting is enthusiastically behind it. The proposal was passed unanimously Monday night at the meeting, which took place at .

The approval came a few days after the town's legal consultant, attorney Joyce Frank, issued an opinion that the measure was in conflict with town and state law. She wrote that the town meeting's decision would not be binding. The state Attorney General's office will have the final say.

Several people addressed the town meeting in favor of the measure.

"For the Board of Selectmen to assume positions on other boards is just wrong," said Lauren Walsh, chair of the Capital Improvement Committee.

The measure qualified for the town meeting following a petition drive led by Bill Rice, who was a selectman until he resigned on Friday. It prohibits selectmen from serving on other town boards unless the board lacks a quorum and a fill-in were needed until a new person could be appointed.

Rice's only statement on Monday was that the item should be heard because more than 160 people signed the petition. His wife Martha spoke in support. She said this had become an issue last year when Selectmen Bob McLintock and Francis Cavaco were appointed to the Board of Health. She noted this led to resignations from the BOH.

"I'm not a lawyer," she said. "I don't know the law, but I do know what's fair ... so I will vote in favor of this."

McLintock, a major opponent of the measure, did not attend the meeting because he had an emergency situation, Selectman Gary Sagar said. Sagar, also an opponent, did not speak on this item.

Attorney Frank said the measure violated the town charter because it grants selectmen the authority to make appointments. Limiting who they could appoint would be restricting that authority.

Selectman Dave Parker, who signed the petition, said the town charter could be amended at the next town meeting to fix that issue.