Candidates Night Part 2
By Shawn on Apr 17, 2009 in Dracut Elections
The second Candidates Night was held last night, and provided some good information.
In the race for Moderator, the current Moderator Gary McCarthy gave a good 5 minute statement explaining the job and the roles that the moderator takes. He actually responded to a number of things his opponent proposed (without her being there to do so).
Jeanne Balkas could not attend, but sent in a statement.
In the school races, the three candidates did a good job presenting themselves. All made good presentations, with Bonnie Elie speaking about her successes when she was in office previously, Ron Mercier (the incumbent) listing all his roles while he has been on the board, and challenger Paul Elmstrom emphasising his construction and finance knowledge, as well as his efforts on behalf of both special ed and non-sped education.
As to the Selectmen, I’ll get back to that one.. the Sun had an article summarizing much of the back and forth here, and I need to go ask a few questions myself. I don’t think there was enough time allowed to truly answer some of the questions.
Once again, the Candidates Night Committee did a good job in this annual event, and we all thank them for this continued effort.
Tags: May2009
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Jeanne | Apr 18, 2009 | Reply
Shawn writes:
“In the race for Moderator, the current Moderator Gary McCarthy gave a good 5 minute statement explaining the job and the roles that the moderator takes. He actually responded to a number of things his opponent proposed (without her being there to do so).”
“Jeanne Balkas could not attend, but sent in a statement.”
Yes, I was unable to attend the debate (it was my Holy Thursday) but, I was allowed by the committee that presented Candidate’s Night to send in a written statement about my candidacy. They are a very understanding and accommodating group of ladies that always provide the voters of Dracut with an insightful look into candidates seeking public office.
A friend taped Candidate’s Night and I was able to review my worthy opponents statements.
It was mentioned that all a moderator does is run town meeting. This is not an entirely correct statement. It is the civic duty and responsibility of a moderator to provide the people with all the information needed to make fiscally sound decisions. Elected leaders are accountable to the public and we must have transparency in government.
That is why if elected, I will have a Moderator’s link on the Official Town of Dracut’s website with my contact number as well as my e-mail address. I will provide the public with important information and documents related to this office online. Town meetings should be educational as well as productive. When there are complex issues, we need to give voters all the information they need so they fully understand the issues, and can make fiscally sound decisions. I will also try to foster better communication between town departments prior to Town Meeting so that voters understand not only the articles and the motions, but why they are being placed before voters. While the moderator must abide by the town’s bylaws and Robert’s Rules of Order, he or she still has a fair amount of discretion regarding what motions are made and how the meeting is conducted.
Other duties of the Town Moderator include the appointment of the Finance Committee, The Committee on Rules (which oversees the business of Town Meeting and considers all proposed changes in it’s conduct), The Committee on Government Regulations (which reviews and reports on all warrant articles that would, if adopted, amend the Charter or affect the By-laws of the town), and the Permanent Building Committee (which is responsible for overseeing the construction or re-construction of all town buildings).
As always, I have done my homework and have found that other communities such as North Andover, have the Finance Committee prepare a report along with a simplified version of the warrant articles prior to Town Meeting. To save on expenses, I will provide this on the Town Moderator’s link on the Official Towns website, and on local cable, and if requested, a handout.
I hope this clears up any doubts or uncertainty about what my candidacy proposes.
Thank you,
Jeanne Balkas