LETTER: Disappointed in the Town Council? Vote Them Out in November

Why should we care how our town is run by the town council? Is the process important or just the outcome? Do they say one thing and do something different?

This Town Council has shown that it cares neither for following the process or what the citizens think about their actions. Case in point is the decision to vacate Town Hall. Many citizens attended the town council meetings and voiced their concern about the town hall. Over two hundred citizens signed a partition requesting the town council not vacate the town hall. What was the result of this; they are vacating the town hall.

Now we come to the process of hiring an interim town manager. They requested interested parties apply to fill the position until a permanent manager could be hired. Vetted several applicants and then appointed someone who didn’t apply and was not vetted by the town council. I believe that the vote was not unanimous.

Then the Town Council decides to hire a consultant to find a permanent town manager at a cost of some $20,000. The consultant forwards a list of candidates from all of those that applied, around thirty five in all, and recommends seven semi- finalists. The finalist are interviewed by a citizens committee of ten appointees on the same nights as the town council interviews and makes a recommendation to the council of three, two of which that have extensive experience as town managers in Rhode Island. The town council added a forth to the list that had less experience.

We are told that the council’s first choice declined the position. Then the council voided their unanimous choice as a backup with a 3-2 vote and appointed non-applicant and non-vetted person to the position. They changed the process midstream and appointed someone that had far less experience than the two top applicants for the position. This letter is not about who was appointed but about how they went about it and why. I served on the citizens committee to interview the applicants as chairman.

Why did the majority on the council change the process? Why did they twice appoint someone that did not apply for the position? Why did they give the new manager a one year contract leaving it to the next council to start the process all over again in six months right when their term will begin and when they will be starting the budget process? What do you think the next group of applicants will be like after they learn how the town council handled this? How would you feel if you went through the process only to be snubbed by someone that didn’t even apply?

This council did this before when they appointed an unknown person to the school committee. This person never ran for office and was never vetted by the town council just appointed by the majority. We as taxpayers are due some answers and the right to have the best qualified applicant appointed as our town manager. Do we sit back and let this all go by as business as usual in Rhode Island or do we vote them out in November? They do not respect your voice at the town council meetings. Let them feel your discontent and disappointment with their actions and vote them out in November.

Richard Welch
North Kingstown

Editor: The letter writer is a former member of the North Kingstown Town Council.

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