To the editor:
As the Charter Commission vote in Tiverton on July 18th approaches, here are a few thoughts to add to the mix.
I have been reading all of the LTE's from candidates and I would like to address some issues here:
In the past there have been very few people who ever attended the Budget Committee meetings. It is for that reason there is no precedent set for getting audience input which seems to have caused a controversy this year, enough so that some want to get rid of the Budget Committee altogether. That would be a very, very bad idea in my opinion.
The Charter with a few flaws that is has, works to preserve our voter's rights. We need to make sure no one who is running wants to override those rights, something like "throwing the baby out with the bath water," so to speak. Doesn't that seem backwards? Doesn't that seem irresponsible as well?
Beware of anyone who is running who is not telling you what they want to change and who is using vague statements to hide what they really want to do. If you are not sure what someone stands for, by all means do not vote for them. That could be dangerous here!
I would like to preserve the FTR. I would like to preserve the Budget Committee. I would like to simply add to or clarify some language that has given us trouble in the past that is either missing in the Charter or confusing in the Charter. There are some spots in the Charter that need revising simply due to not keeping up with the times. Those spots need updating. I offer no drastic changes or anything that would take away voter's rights for sure. 
This Charter Commission is important because their suggestions, once the Town Council reviews them, will be placed on the ballot for people to vote on. Please be sure you know what is at stake here before you go to vote. 
Madeline O'Dell
Former Budget Committee member
Currently running for the Charter Review Commission