Coventry Council Candidate Unhappy About Ballot Question

From David Dadekian For Town Council: David Dadekian, candidate for Coventry Town Council in District 1, is extremely dissatisfied by the actions of the current Town Council at Monday’s meeting when they voted to place a question on the November ballot asking voters to choose between maintaining the current Financial Town Meeting (FTM) process or holding an all-day budget referendum.

“I am disgusted by the lack of civility and transparency during some Town Council meetings and especially during the most recent Financial Town Meeting,” said David Dadekian. “This ballot question, if approved, would alter the Coventry Town Charter to remove Motions, Voting and Amendments by the public at the annual FTM. It also removes the voters’ ability to levy taxes, an ability the Town Council has shown they have no regard for with the re-voting fiasco at this year’s FTM and subsequent passing of the levy by the Council the following week without public comment.” Dadekian added, “This issue is up to the voters now and I sincerely hope the Town Council makes a strong, concerted effort to communicate exactly what this ballot question would change for the citizens of Coventry.

I plan to vote this down on November 6th.” This would place far too much of the budgetary and taxation power in Coventry in the hands of the Town Council, a Council where just last week one of it’s members said of the budget hearings, “We’ve had people that have come up [to the podium] during public comment on the budget hearings and have made suggestions or comments or whatever, how many times have we ever taken one of those comments and actually done anything with it in the budget? Absolutely zero! . . . We’ve never actually used anything anybody has said.” Dadekian is appalled by these comments, “It appears to me the tone of Coventry government has lost its way. I disagree with last night’s vote for this to be on the ballot in November. If I’m elected as Councilperson for District 1 I hope to not only allow citizens to speak at every meeting of the Town Council, including budget meetings, but I would like to have regular District 1 meetings so people can share their thoughts throughout the year. In addition, I would always be available via email, social media and through davidfortowncouncil.com.”

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