One brick shy

Thursday, February 7, 2013, 5:00 P.M.  Last day and time deadline to pull papers to run for town offices.  Less than two weeks away and it is looking as if last year was really just a one issue race as far as motivation.

This year, well it is turning out to be another year of little interest.  One can keep their fingers crossed, however at this stage of the game it is not all that likely we are going to see close to the activity as last year.

Disappointing from the political chat perspective.

Disheartening from the citizen involvement perspective.

The Standard Times has a piece on Dartmouth and its ballot questions relative to a solar by-law and "change in government".  According to the piece, and what I have also heard through several sources, the town government question would involve:

A second ballot question, which the Select Board has not yet finalized, would ask residents if they supported changing the structure of town government. The nonbinding question proposed by Watson is expected to ask residents if they support no changes to town government, changing it so that individual town departments report to the Select Board or if the town should transition to an elected mayor and town council form of government, according to a draft of the question provided by Watson.

It doesn't appear Dartmouth intends to scrap the "town manager" concept, except to change to a Mayor; or, reduce the authority.  Quite frankly what Dartmouth decides to do is Dartmouth's business. 

As to a town manager for of government, if a town manager doesn't have day to day authority over department heads, you are essentially wasting your time.  You have a Board of Selectmen in charge, period.  If that is what any town wants, that is that town's decision. 

I would note Dartmouth has an appointed BPW by the way. 

Lower taxes ... everyone who pays them, just about, wants lower taxes.  Lowering taxes is easy to do. As long as you ignore a bunch of other things.  

Certainly one can ferret out waste and determine necessity vs. want.  

One of the biggest impediments to efficient government, in my mind, if the never ending assumption that what was budgeted last year automatically equates to what is the starting point for the next year.  It is looked upon as a right.  

Trust me.  Show a department a history of unspent money over a period of years, and cut it from its budget, and listen to the laments of how you are destroying an operation by taking away money that has not be spent.

Try and get any department to build a budget from the ground up.  Even say just every five years.  It is done in only one instance that I know of.

But even putting aside antiquated budget philosophies, politics unfortunately comes into play.  

I see it over and over again, year after year. Decisions are too often made first one what is the easiest target, and second what can you cull out from someone else's budget.

The best thing that will come out of the DOR report, regardless of whatever else does or does not get done, will be the high lightening of just how bad the process is in our town.  Many of the issues raised are not earth shattering.  Indeed very little contained in that report hasn't been discussed or complained about.  

You may not have heard it, but it has happened.  Trust me when I tell you, most of the procedural matters started prior to the report got a big jump start based on the fact the report was coming.  But I have told you that all ready.

Do not forget that as "rosy" as our financial status may be, many of the recommendations made were done so based on the DOR opinion that if you want to keep it that way, some very important procedures and changes have to be implemented.

But government has to be more than simply protecting your bond rating.  It has to be in the first instance about providing necessary services at an adequate level.  In determining what is necessary, one cannot ignore the rationale expectations of the people.  

Neither can one apply certain standards to others unless one is willing to apply the same standards to themselves.

I have been doing a great deal of reflection based on that state report.  My biggest regret over the years has been not following my own advice on many things.  You may remember a number of brick wall discussions in the past.  

Quite frankly I have to admit that I have spent too much time and effort on too many matters by trying to tear that brick wall down with my bare hands, instead of finding a way around it, or simply blowing it up.  I think it is an issue for many when they spend an significant time on something.  At some point you forget about alternate solutions.  

Maybe it is pure stubbornness, or simply a never ending brain cramp.  I am coming to the conclusion  though that perhaps we are reaching the point where we need to shake things down to their very foundation.  Knock that wall down completely and rebuild it with a proper entry way from the ground up.

Enough of this.  Enjoy the brief thaw, just be smart enough to get out of the rain when it starts.  As always, be safe.