Reform Must Come First in North

Change Must Come First In North

by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle


There is little doubt North Attleboro needs more money in its budget to properly fund the operation of the community and provide services citizens and taxpayers deserve. Selectmen have called for an override to add about $6.5 million to do exactly that, and they deserve credit for having the political will and courage to try and address the very real problems.

But voters should firmly and decidedly reject this override, despite a strong case being made by the board. The reason is simple:

Their current governmental structure is not working, and until it is changed the voters and citizens should not trust it with an increase anywhere near this magnitude.

That is not meant as an attack on any individuals currently holding office in North, but rather an indictment of the entire system. Any kind of even cursory look at the facts proves it to be true.

This is a community where the legislative body refuses to correct the obvious problems that plague it. The 135-member RTM (Representative Town Meeting) has consistently fought efforts to reduce its membership, despite the fact it has great difficulty attracting people to serve.

This year there are 61 open RTM seats available at the upcoming town election. A grand total of 38 individuals will be on the ballot seeking them. There will be 23 seats with absolutely no candidates, save for write-in opportunities.

That’s almost 38 percent of the available seats attracting zero candidates. Many of those vacancies will be filled by appointments by the RTM itself.

This is the body that ultimately decides the town’s budget, enacts the bylaws, and conducts important town business. It speaks volumes about the lack of confidence North citizens have in the RTM system.

Some will point out a charter commission is currently considering eliminating RTM, and revamping much of the rest of North Attleboro’s governmental structure. They will tell you that is a major discouragement to those considering seeking election.

That might have some truth to it — this year. But it does not explain why participation has been almost as terrible in most other recent years as well.

The people of North Attleboro need to take a firm stand. They must insist on government reform first, before any major budget increases. This government does not even have a town manager with authority and responsibility to hire, fire, and administer the budget. There is no way voters should give this disjointed system another $6.5 million. Plan first — pay later.

That may indeed seem harsh. It may also seem unfair, particularly to the students in a school system that cries out for additional funding. Or to the public safety departments that have undergone significant cuts in the recent past.

But it makes no sense to pour more money into a bad system. Demand the changes first. Make sure there is none of the political sabotage that has ended other attempts at reform. Don’t let a bad governmental format dig a deeper financial hole for what will hopefully be a new and better one.

If North Attleboro taxpayers are going to trust local government with another $6.5 million, that government should have to first show things have indeed changed.

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.