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Tiverton 1st is a grassroots community organization open to all who support preserving our quality of life in Tiverton by maintaining both our community and school services in a fiscally-responsible way, and promoting cooperation, compromise and community pride.
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Friday, November 21, 2014

TIVERTON FACT OR FICTION: THE FACTS ABOUT THE TOWN COUNCIL PROCESS & HISTORY OF APPOINTMENTS


Great job here by Mike Silvia of laying out the facts about the history of the Town Council's appointment process, and the cynical hypocrisy of the same people who rejected appointing the next-highest-votegetter a few years back now proclaiming that the new Council must do so.
In our lastest installment of Fact or Fiction (mostly fiction as it turns out), Justin Katz has a letter on-line at EastbayRI attempting to bully the new Town Council into appointing his failed CUT candidate to an empty budget committee seat.
His justification? He insists that it is established past practice that the next top vote getter in the election get that seat and that doing anything else would set a dangerous precedent and "divide the town." He once again warns us to beware of people he opposes and watch what they do.....
However, the people of Tiverton actually changed the charter specifically striking that provision so that would NOT be the practice. Instead the new changes allowed the sitting Council members to appoint for vacancies between elections.
Undaunted by the will of the people, Katz goes on to state that his research proves that this is in fact past practice and other Councils have appointed the next top vote getter, extolling the virtuous choices of past council members with which he is aligned.
EXCEPT....yeah it is not past practice! Many past councils have taken various approaches to filling these vacancies, INCLUDING his TCC and CUT cohorts Coulter and Nelson and Chabot who in 2011, due to two budget committee vacancies, TWICE ignored this "past practice."
Actual facts are not optional, Mr Katz:
EXHIBIT #1 From the April 11. 2011 minutes:
Appointment for Budget Committee Vacancy
a. Councilor Roderick – Appointment to Fill Vacancy on Budget Committee
Councilor Roderick requested the Council appoint the next highest vote getter, similar to the last Budget Committee appointment, to show consistency. Next highest vote getter was Louise Durfee.
Made as a form of a motion, seconded by Councilor Pelletier. Discussion followed. Councilor Coulter questioned if there was a policy in place to reflect the past practice. Councilor Leonard could not recall one, have generally followed the Charter similar to a Council filling with the next highest vote getter. Councilor Coulter noted this did not happen with the recent Treasurer vacancy, did not automatically go to next highest vote getter. The motion failed, Councilors Roderick, Leonard and Pelletier voting in favor of Ms. Durfee’s appointment, Councilors Nelson, Coulter, Chabot and Lambert opposed.
b. Councilor Coulter – Request Appointment of J. Belli to Budget Committee
Councilor Coulter noted Mr. Belli’s expressed interest, had received a substantial number of votes in the last election, need to continue to involve new people, veteran. Councilor Coulter made a motion, seconded by Councilor Nelson to appoint Jeffrey Belli to the Budget Committee. Motion passed on a vote of 5-2, Councilors Roderick and Pelletier oppose
EXHIBIT #2: when one of the BC members passed away months later in 2011, the Coulter/Nelson TC put forward a process to have people apply and be interviewed, once AGAIN ignoring the next top vote getter. Ultimately they appointed Jeff Caron.
November 14, 2011 minutes:
Councilor Coulter noted the Vacancy on the Budget Committee. The Town Clerk had placed two separate ads several weeks ago, one just for the Budget Committee vacancy, applications due November 9th and one for vacancies on Boards and Commissions, which included the Budget Committee, due November 16th. Interviews could be scheduled for November 28th and appoint at the December 12th meeting.

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