To the editor:

In a major league shift, last Wednesday’s FTM (replete with moms and dads with little kids), overwhelmingly voted to trade away the A-Team. Gone are Grove, Horne, and Gralnek, all of whom had had a depth and breadth of working with financial statements, fiscal analysis and tax policy. They knew how to make the tough decisions. I thank them all for their service. They’ve done a yeoman’s job!

Bring on the new team, an attorney, a government “strategery planner” and a doctor who has experience writing research grants and working on her church budget. As Dana Carvey on Saturday Night Live used to say, “Isn’t that special.” 

Continuing the baseball metaphor, none would have made the Single A ball team based on either talent or experience. All of them adore the idea of a new “Code of Ethics” promulgated by the stategery guy. “Hello McFly”, before you suggest any new ideas, you might start by reading the statues in the R.I.G.L. regarding open meetings laws and provisions… they already exist. All C.O.A. meetings must be posted in advance, can be attended by anyone, and questions can and have been asked. There has always been “active listening” every year by the C.O.A. There is no other sub-committee in town that is live-streamed other than the school committee and town council; so now, why the C.O.A.? 

Here’s my take on the three new members (and I’m sure they are all well intended and very nice people). They all voted to reinstate the $1.2 million at the FTM, they vociferously and in partisan fashion defended every possible cut to the school budget. The only proposal they put forward was a new code of ethics. They appear to have little or no background in tax/public policy, or a working knowledge of financial statements. One in particular has proven to be hyper-critical, by personally attacking the current C.O.A. members at several of this year’s meetings. 

They are simply shills for the superintendent and the SC. I see no chance that they can be truly objective arbiters and protectors of our tax dollars, their main task. Their “process over product” ideal is fanciful at best, and at worst, could prove harmful to taxpayers. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if our tax bills doubled in only a few years. I would be happy to be proven wrong!

Then there are the remaining two members. Mr. Staples, who’s never, ever seen a tax increase he didn’t like and Mr. Mollica, the one remaining member that has vast experience as a successful business person and attempts to base his decisions on current fiscal reality.

So, if you new folks want to set up a code of conduct, perhaps you should start with this… "if you’re a member of the C.O.A. and your spouse is a member of the town council or school committee, one or the other should resign or recuse yourself due to the obvious conflict of interest.”

Hold onto your wallets everyone!

Scott Fuller

Barrington