Health & Fitness
Selectmen Do It Again
Selectmen promptly approved an encumbrance Monday after learning their $100K sewer encumbrance was illegal.
January 30, 2013
There is an old saying that the definition of stupidity is to do the same things over and over again expecting a different outcome. Such was the actions of what we call the three wise men, Rick Griffin, Ben Moore and Phil Bean. After being told by town counsel Gearreald and the DRA that the $100,000 encumbrance for sewer work was illegal and thus it was eliminated from the proposed list of encumbrances to be approved by the BOS, they promptly approved an encumbrance for an update to the code book for $14,350 that was also illegal.
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Mr. Schwotzer indicated that he forgot to create a PO last year, thus since he intended to do so, he felt justified to put it in the list of encumbrances now. After Selectmen Nichols attempted to amend the motion by eliminating this item, a vote was taken with the three wise men choosing not to support the amendment but instead to vote for the total encumbrances, once again supporting an illegal transaction.
Mr. Gearreald just sat at the table and said nothing while this was happening. So we ask, just what is going on? Is this the type of professional management the taxpayers of Hampton deserve. We say absolutely not. Anytime Mr. Nichols or Mr. Pierce ask questions they are being accused by Mr. Griffin of micromanaging the Town Manager or Financial Director. That indicates to us that Messrs. Griffin, Moore and Bean continue to be ill prepared on subjects and are incapable of exercising fiduciary responsibility of the office for which they were elected.
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It is extremely disconcerting that the three selectmen chose to violate the oath of office that they took by failing to uphold the law. Rational Taxpayers of Hampton demands that the Selectmen do their jobs and the employees of town government act in a professional and ethical manner. Once again the right thing to do is to reverse their action. The voters will have a chance in a month to change things, it will be interesting to see what they do.
Norman Silberdick
For Rational Taxpayers of Hampton
