Norton Election A Little Bit Different Next Month

Norton Election Has Few, But Important Choices
by Bill Gouveia

This column ran in the Sun Chronicle on Monday, March 18, 2019

Hey Norton — don’t look now, but you have a local election next month that just might actually entice more than a relative handful of voters to cast ballots. And it doesn’t even feature an override, which is about the only time voters have turned out in any great number for a local election in recent years.

But this exercise in democracy will feature two somewhat unusual things for a community that can never seem to decide what it wants to be when it grows up: An opportunity for citizens to elect a charter commission that would study how to improve local government and an actual contested race for two selectmen seats.

Try and contain your excitement.

But seriously, this is an extremely important election for Norton. Caught in the dreaded “too-small-to-be-big-but-too-big-to-be small” category, this community of about 20,000 residents needs to look closely at its future. This election will be all about leadership, and deciding not only who will provide it — but how. This could well be a turning point for Norton.

Although the existing town charter has been updated over the years, there has not been an elected board charged with looking at the entirety of government since the 1980’s. It is long overdue because without having someone first study the topic, how are Norton voters to know if there is a better way to run their town?

On April 23 they will get that chance. Voters will be asked to say yes or no on forming an elected commission of nine members charged with studying town government from top to bottom. At the same time they will choose those nine people from 11 candidates, though those votes will only be counted if the yes side prevails.

If the commission is formed, it will study town government, hold public hearings, make recommendations and report back to the townspeople. Any actual changes would have to eventually be approved by voters at another town election.

In addition, two longtime incumbent selectmen will have opponents for their seats. Bob Salvo has been a selectmen since the early 2000’s and Bob Kimball is the current Dean of Norton selectmen, having served since the mid 1990’s. They are being opposed by political newcomers Rene Deley and Jack Conway, neither of whom have held elected office before.

Sadly, contested selectmen races have become somewhat unusual over the years in Norton. As the percentage of turnout has dropped at local elections (in non-override years), so has the number of contested races for most offices. There will be no contested race for school committee this year, nor for any of the planning board seats. Openings on the water/sewer commission and the board of assessors attracted no candidates whatsoever.

Here’s hoping the possibility of a charter study and competition for two selectmen seats will draw Norton voters out of their shell this year. Turnout has hovered between 2% to 5% in recent elections and that is disgraceful. Maybe the possibility of positive change coupled with actual competition for leadership positions will bring more people out to vote.

Tuesday, April 23. Mark your calendars, Norton voters. And if you don’t vote — don’t complain.

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

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Attacks On North Attleboro Charter Unfair

This column appeared in the Sun Chronicle on Monday, March 11, 2019

Charter Attacks In North Attleboro Disappointing
by Bill Gouveia

Watching some current North Attleboro RTM members and other leaders come out and attack the proposed charter — not to mention the abilities and integrity of the elected volunteers who created it — is sad, disappointing and sometimes disgusting.

But it is hardly unexpected.

After all, at its core the charter question is really about politics. At stake is the very foundation of the town’s political system. Anyone who expected all those currently holding the political power to sit back and allow the elimination of the system they currently control was naïve.

But it is important to note some of the complaints about the proposed charter are vague, semantic arguments lacking true credibility. Many center around misleading conclusions drawn in a somewhat pathetic attempt to defeat it based on emotion, rather than facts — because the facts don’t support a “no” vote.

RTM member John Dromsky made a big deal out of the commission stating the state attorney general had “approved” the preliminary draft of the charter. He correctly noted the AG’s office does not approve content, but merely certifies the charter does not conflict with the state Constitution or laws.

But he wrongly claimed the commission implied the approval involved the content. The commission meant nothing more than the form of the charter had been approved. To say otherwise is not only factually incorrect, but deliberately misleading.

Still, Dromsky’s characterization of commission members pales in contrast to his fellow RTM member and coordinating committee Chairman Bob Nerz.

At a coordinating committee meeting last month, Nerz gave a presentation urging defeat of the charter, stating he wanted to try and stick to facts. He congratulated the nine commission members on their hard work and urged everyone to keep that in mind.

Then during the televised meeting he went on to undermine the integrity of the commission and its members, questioning if they were “blinded by bias” and wondering aloud if the entire process was even valid.

Nerz questioned if commission members were generally unfamiliar with the current form of government, despite the fact the commission chair is a former selectman and town administrator. He even suggested they might be unfamiliar with their own charter.

Nothing but the facts. Right. It’s always easier to criticize others than to come up with your own solutions.

Every North Attleboro citizen should familiarize themselves with the proposed charter. They should compare it to the current form of government and decide which gives them the best representation and bang for their tax dollar.

They should also understand that today, North has no charter. That means the town surrenders certain powers to the state to make changes local voters should be able to decide for themselves. Only a charter gives them that power, and you can change and adapt a charter after you adopt one.

No system of government is perfect. No matter what voters decide on April 2, there will always be problems.

But the charter proposal before them is more than worthy of their consideration, and the dedicated citizens who spent almost two years constructing it deserve more respect than they are getting from some town officials currently clinging to power.

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

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