To the editor:

 From sloppy news reporting or the rumor mill, you may have heard that elected members of the Charter Review Commission (CRC) skipped a hearing on their own proposals to change the town’s Home Rule Charter.  This is not true. 

We did not attend the Town Council’s Charter amendment hearing on July 26th because it was the Council’s hearing solely, on its own proposals.  The hearing had nothing to do with the 20 ballot amendments recommended by the CRC that were rejected or manipulated, all of them, by the Town Council.  After a year of neglect from the council, the voters who elected the CRC were marginalized and ignored. 

Prior to the hearing, the CRC attended multiple council meetings to discuss our top 20 ballot recommendations and were permitted little discussion or explanation.  One by one, the CRC proposals were scratched, dismissed, voted down or vaguely called “unconstitutional”.

The council also demanded we provide Charter language for proposals yet they denied us the assistance from the town solicitor to help with specific language. In contrast, the council had the town solicitor write all of the charter language for their own ballot questions.  I thought Attorney DeSisto’s title was “town solicitor” not “town council solicitor”?

During the CRC’s tenure, there was “radio silence” from the Town Council and town solicitor.  The council refused to use required proposal forms for their own proposals or to follow deadlines to help us do our work. 

Why didn’t we attend the Ccouncil’s hearing on July 26th?  Because the subject proposals were the council’s — not the CRC’s. The outcome was obviously already determined. 

The Town Council’s ballot questions are deceitful.  If they pass, seven members of the council will determine the apportionment of the casino gaming revenue, not you, because it will be separated from the budget and the Financial Town Referendum (FTR) process. One Town Council proposal would dramatically limit what the FTR can change and make it four times as difficult for electors even to submit an alternative budget.  Another council proposal increases the signature requirement for an elector petition from 50 to 200.  The FTR is the only tool you have as a taxpayer to control your taxes, making the process more difficult is a direct attack on your right to control your taxes. 

Don’t be fooled by the Town Council approved ballot questions as they sound flowery and not harmful.  You will be losing budget choice, the ability to control your taxes and the Town Council will have total control over the three million dollars of casino revenue.  “Just say no” to all Town Council ballot questions on November.

Donna Cook

Tiverton

Ms. Cook is a former CRC vice-chairwoman and Town Council Ccndidate.