There were questions raised and comments made concerning the special act and I would like address them. I was a member of the first committee that presented the first proposal for town administrator.. This attempt failed. I was also a member of the committee that wrote the special act a while later. The other members of that committee were Bill Shemeth, Richard Cogswell. Peter Adams and Lynne Stoddard, At that time the town was facing serious financial problems. The stabilization fund had been depleted to around $40,000 because the fund was being used to pay bills, our bond rating was low and there was concern that we would be facing receivership. There were a small number of vocal folks who opposed the act and they burned a copy of the act on the town hall steps. In spite their efforts, this passed. They did not want to pay for a town administrator. Using cost saving measures our first administrator improved our financial situation and the stabilization fund was increased to a proper level, our bond rating was good and he increased services. I am personally very proud of the special act. The committee met with the town boards, had many public meetings to listen to feedback and Lynne and I spent hours studying town administrator forms of government from other towns. Peter Adams, who was a former town counsel for our town and who I consider to be one of the nicest and smartest people I know, made sure that our ideas were written in the proper legal terms. A few years after the first administrator was hired, we were in good financial shape because we had many volunteers who stepped up to the plate. Most boards had a volunteer clerk, there were appropriate number of fire dept. volunteers and the fire chief was a volunteer. Since then the world has changed and we now have paid support staff and the town has voted to have more expensive services. Our special act, was and I assume still is on the Mass. Municipal website as a recommended example for other towns to use to form a town administrator form of government . Thank you, Carol McPherson
