February 28, 2008
Tuesday night, the Town of Bridgewater is teased into thinking there will be some magical solution coming from current Chair Mark Oliari. He describes a super-secret plan he is working on, and one that he will privately discuss with other Selectmen individually. (Hey Mark, that would be a serial violation of Open Meeting Law!)
So, while three Selectmen (Herb Lemon, Dennis Gallagher and Christopher Flynn) all wanting to discuss options in open – including the possibility of revenue from a tax over-ride – Chair Oliari teases with his magic plan. Perhaps we should all have Bridgewater State College’s President Dana Mohler-Faria on speed dial so whatever is being concocted with the College can be verified? (It was only a short time ago that the College released statements refuting Selectmen’s comments about how BSC would take an active role in B-R activities!)
Through all of this, it is clear that while Mark Oliari is a successful businessman in Town, and is eager to personally financially support the many causes in Town, the role of Selectman is different. To be successful and truly help the community move forward, the individual must have some knowledge, but more importantly he must be able to effect change through a collaborative process. The Board of Selectmen is five people who together, by majority vote, set direction for the Town.
Much like I had to adjust my approach 3-4 years ago on the B-R School Committee to understand when to back off certain issues, to drop the point and to try again on another day, the Board of Selectmen is also a group team effort. Compromise is often necessary on matters. You don’t want to compromise your principles, but in order to be effective, sometimes you must decide to move on from an issue.
There are two candidates who are challenging Mark for a seat on the Board of Selectmen – Mike Demos and Marilee Kenney-Hunt.
Mike Demos brings his background as past member and Chair of the Town’s Advisory Board. Several years ago, it was the Advisory Board who began pushing for a 3-Point Plan to move the Town forward. Mike obviously has a strong grasp of the details of the dollars and cents for Bridgewater.
Marilee Kenney-Hunt is former Chair of Bridgewater’s Quality of Education Study, member of Bridgewater Improvement Association, and Chair of Bridgewater Community Preservation Committee. She has also served on many other committees and boards in-town, and throughout Massachusetts. I would say she has a very well-rounded set of experience and knowledge, and knows how to work as part of a collaborative team.
The Town of Bridgewater currently has three individuals in Town Government with strong involvement in Town Finances – Treasurer/Collector Doug Dorr, Accountant Jo-ann O’Donnell and Administrator Paul Sullivan. I therefore do not see a pressing need for in-depth math and financial skills on the Board of Selectmen. What I do see as the most important need is for someone to be able to work well as a member of a team, a collaborative effort to improve Bridgewater.
While some have bemoaned the matter of two individuals challenging incumbent Oliari, normally allowing the incumbent to be re-elected, I trust that the citizens of Bridgewater will come out and vote for whom they believe in.
I therefore am making this public statement in support of the candidacy of Marilee Kenney-Hunt for Board of Selectmen. Her experience and skills working in collaboration with others, her experience in a wide range of areas, and her overall approach and demeanor make her far and away the best candidate to represent the citizens of Bridgewater. I urge you to read more about her positions on her website www.huntforunity.org and also to vote on April 26th. Change starts one vote and one person at a time.
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
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