At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, four of the five members chose to let 20-plus years of institutional knowledge and a record of stellar performance walk out the door. And by that, of course, I’m referring to their decision to not reappoint Bill Keohan to the Community Preservation Committee.
This decision came despite overwhelming support by Plymouth’s residents as evidenced by 800-plus write-in votes this spring, and a more recent letter read aloud at the Select Board meeting signed by 80-plus individuals.
Why was Bill removed? Who knows? Outside of Kevin Canty, not one other Select Board member chose to articulate their reasoning for not reappointing Bill. Eight hundred and fifty votes, overwhelming community support, 20-plus years of knowledge and performance and… David Golden, Charlie Bletzer, Dickie Quintal, and John Mahoney had nothing to say when the chair brought it back to the board for discussion. No debate. No exchange of views. No rationale. Nothing.
This is not how the executive branch should run. This is representative form of government and as such the Select Board is tasked with governing and representing the will of the people. If our elected officials feel their constituents are ill-informed, they owe it to those same voters to explain why. It’s their opportunity to display leadership in governing.
This did not happen Tuesday.
Mark Withington