A Final Farewell For Tom O’Donnell

Warrant articles and hot-button issues notwithstanding, Hingham Town Meeting always has the feel of a family reunion, with folks shaking hands, laughing, and swapping stories.

At all get-togethers, though, someone has to end the hors d’oeuvres and move everyone to the dinner table and at Hingham Town Meeting, Moderator Tom O’Donnell, like a family patriarch, has long been entrusted with the task of getting folks down to the business at hand.

But  tonight at Hingam's Annual Town Meeting at the high school, Tom O’Donnell’s gavel will sound on the podium for the last time. His tenure as Town Moderator – the longest in the history of the Commonwealth – will come to an end.

For the first time since 1967, 85-year-old O’Donnell will not seek re-election to the office he has felt so honored to hold.

O’Donnell said what he has enjoyed the most about being Moderator is “the fact that we have an open town meeting at which any voter can come and express his or her view and vote.”

His job as Moderator, which he characterizes as a “facilitator of the democratic process,”  has been to keep order and give fair opportunity for all citizens who wish to speak their minds.

“But you also have to know when to move to vote when it’s time, to get the important legal business done so everyone can get home at a reasonable hour,” he added with a chuckle, referring to the occasions when Town Meetings have lasted until nearly midnight.

O’Donnell also spends many hours preparing for each meeting, guaranteeing that everyone involved, from those who sponsor articles in that meeting’s warrant to members of various governing boards and committees, understands how the process works.

“As Moderator, I must take a vow of neutrality in all matters that come before the meeting,” he said. "This preparation ensures that there is “a balance between the opportunity to speak and present arguments, and get the work done.”

Balance is something at which O’Donnell has been quite skilled. During his years of voluntary service to Hingham, he was also Chairman of the esteemed law firm, Ropes & Gray along with being a father of four and a dedicated husband to his wife Carol.

“I was a busy guy there for a long time,” he said. “And there were times I wasn’t available to my family as much as I would have liked, but Carol kept everyone, everything going well. Including me.”

The Moderator’s job extends beyond just those days up to and including Town Meeting, however. Throughout the rest of the year, O’Donnell spends countless hours involved in the day-to-day running of town government, including making key appointments to a number of Town committees, most notably, the Advisory Committee.

Yet, it’s at the Town Meetings where most people got to see O’Donnell in action, sporting his ever-present bow tie.  With his sharp mind, sense of humor, and enduring grace and patience, he was able to keep every meeting flowing well, even when tempers flared.

One such heated occasion is also the Town Meeting most memorable for O’Donnell -- the special meeting last October, which focused in large part on the proposed new Middle School.

“Resident turnout was the second highest in history,” he said. “We knew there would be a long debate and we tried to anticipate what we’d need in terms of moving to a likely ballot vote.”

Still, he has always looked forward to each meeting.

“Every one is different, with its own pace and flow. It’s been a privilege,” he said, to preside over each one.

Contemplating the end of the experience, O’Donnell said, “I have no regrets. I had the opportunity to serve longer than anyone in the history of this town and for that I’m grateful.”

As for future Town Meetings? “I may speak on things, though I will probably be restrained for a while,” he joked, noting that while he is retired and owns a home in Florida, he has no plans to move any time soon.

“I don’t see myself leaving Hingham voluntarily,” he laughed.

What's Next For Hingham?

At this Saturday's Town Election, Hingham will elect a new Town Moderator. 

The 2012 candidates are Bernard Manning of 59 Cushing Street, and Michael Puzo of 83 Cross Street.

Last April, voters of Hingham made a clear choice in the Town Moderator race, choosing O'Donnell by a margin of 1,182 votes.  O'Donnell took 1,726 votes compared to  Salerno's 544 and  Manning's 128  votes. The one-term Moderator spot was expected to draw the closest race, yet in the end O'Donnell won by a land slide.