Letter to the editor Gardner news

Town Citizens are Not Obstructionists

Dear Editor:

I am writing in response to the two recent letters regarding the climate of the political landscape in Templeton.

Let me first begin by acknowledging that Templeton citizens are indeed frustrated and concerned with the current state of affairs. I will not make the claim that all citizens are at all times calm and reasonable; it is clear that there have been instances in which this frustration has prompted a few citizens to respond passionately at meetings. I think it is important, however, to refute the notion that those in attendance are simply angry obstructionists, with the sole purpose of delaying the town’s business.

The reason for much of the frustration among Templeton citizens is due largely to the way in which the Board of Selectmen proceedings have been conducted. There are bound to be disagreements, and there are bound to be times when some level of discord is to be expected. This is a given. However, if the meetings were properly managed, these instances could be mitigated, and more of the town’s business could be conducted in an open, transparent manner with the benefit of public participation.

In order to fully understand this situation, I think it’s helpful to contextualize the Board’s recent meetings. As any classroom teacher can attest, there are two important lessons that must be learned in order to effectively work with a diverse group of individuals. It is crucial to know how to both manage student behavior, and also be knowledgeable on topics of discussion. Recently, neither has been the case at the Board of Selectmen meetings. Time and again, we have seen the Chairman deviate from the rules he established, without the consent of the rest of the Board. These rules are posted on the Board’s website. Even more frustrating, however, is the Chairman’s practice of not providing straight answers, no matter how simple the question. Taken together, both the inconsistent meeting management style, and the lack of straightforward responses, it is not surprising that so many in Templeton have been attending meetings to witness the dysfunction.

The many citizens who have been attending meetings represent a range of constituencies in terms of age, occupation, level of education, and the length of residency in Templeton. All of these different groups of people share the same concern that their town government is not functioning properly. We are not there to obstruct; we are there to communicate the will of the voters, as we do not believe that the majority of the Board has an accurate sense of how most voters feel.

To my knowledge, there have been no arrests, and no violent acts. Only a handful of citizens in attendance have been asked to leave, and the way in which these citizens were singled out is troubling. The Chairman has already had to apologize to one citizen who was unfairly singled out and asked to leave.

I encourage all of you to attend a meeting and see for yourself. There is strength in numbers, and I suspect that the high number of citizens in attendance is indicative of a changing political landscape, even if the majority of the Board does not currently understand this.

Darren Elwell