The Braintree League of Women Voters has asked the two proposed Charter Committees to answer the following questions.

The responses submitted by each committee have not been altered or changed in any way by the League.

The responses from each committee have been added to our VotersGuide2006

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BRAINTREE’S PROPOSED CHARTERS:

RESPONSES OF COMMITTEE TO ELECT A TOWN MANAGER

How will a town manager form of government be more accountable than our current board of selectmen/town meeting form of government?

The Town Manager is responsible to the Board of Selectmen. His or hers continued employment depends on their job performance. Any individual aside, as a body of 5, the selectmen are a better representation of the community than a single individual. As a body, the board is more reflective of changes in the community because at least 1 member is up for election every year not every 4 years.

On the legislative side there have been concerns on certain aspects of Town Meeting. The Government Study Committee has submitted significant changes to Town Meeting that are on the warrant for this Town Meeting. Some of the items that are addressed are:

• Reduce Town Meeting to 108
• Minimum of 5 meetings a year
• Recording of attendance and votes on final motions
• Members voting on there own budgets

All of these are intended to increase the accountability of this body while maintaining open, accessible government. The ultimate accountability in any government is the ballot box. What the Selectmen offer for accountability is the yearly ability of the voters to shape the board and chart it’s course. If the voters aren’t happy with the direction the Selectmen have chosen, the next election allows the voters to change the composition of the Board. What the Town Manager brings to the table is the professional, non-political, day-to-day management needed in this town.

What are the responsibilities and duties of the town manager?

The responsibilities of the Town Manager are:

Chief Financial Officer of the Town. The manager, with experience in creating municipal budgets, will create and present the complete town budget for approval of Town Meeting. All departments are required to provide all the information the Manager requires to complete this process. This unified budget process allows the Town to set and achieve goals while minimizing political influences.

Administrative Officer of the Town. The Manager supervises all departments that are under the selectmen, including the Tax Collector, Treasurer, and the Personnel Director. The Manager hires and fires these department heads subject to a 4/5th veto of the selectmen within 15 days. This allows for a vertical chain of responsibility with a check on the individuals authority.

Negotiates contracts. The Manager negotiates all contracts currently under the selectmen in a professional manner, minimizing the voting interest of special interest groups, and doing this within the constraints of the budget.

Responsibility for administering the personnel system of the town in an equitable, and non-partisan manner.

Has the ability to reorganize departments, subject to town meeting vote. This allows for the increased efficiency in the daily operations.

Prepare and maintain an inventory of town owned property under the selectmen and cause a maintenance program to be established for those town facilities.

The Manager has the ability to create committees and delegate responsibilities to the committees as needed to reflect the needs of the town.

A primary advantage of the town manager form of government is to remove politics from the administration of the town government and to put a trained professional manager in charge. The selectmen would retain the policy making function, but the manager would have full responsibility for administration, bringing efficiency and stability to that role. All these responsibilities and duties were formally powers of the Board of Selectmen.

What are the responsibilities of the town meeting members under the town manager form of government?

The responsibilities for the council or town meeting are the same. Approval of the budget, by-law changes, and the structure of government are the principal items.

With town meeting, if the budget is out of proportion with the needs of the community, Town Meeting can amend it. With the proposed council, they can only reduce or veto it.

Town Meeting is not as subject to special interest influences when debating these changes. As an example, a developer, who makes campaign contributions to councilors, wants a zoning change. He or she has a lot more “sway” over the individuals that they contribute to than he has over a larger body that doesn’t need campaign funding. Town Meeting is inclusionary government. If you want to be involved, it is easy. You don’t need the thousands of dollars it takes to run for councilor.

What separates town meeting from a council is that town meeting members are you and your neighbors, not professional politicians.

What is the anticipated transition cost for your proposed form of government?

Approximately $25,000. $10,000-$15,000 would be a salary adjustment for the position so the town can attract the best candidate.

Under your proposed form of government which positions, boards and committees would be elected and which would be appointed?

The following boards would continue to be elected:

• Selectmen, Schools, Planning, Health,
• Housing Authority
• Municipal Light, Assessors, Parks (3 members) Thayer Library Trustees, Trust Fund Commissioners

All other boards and commissions would be appointed.

A survey by the Government Study Committee, with respondents from over 2500 homes, found that the voters of Braintree wanted to retain the ability to elect all the individuals and board that they currently elect.

Elected boards would continue to face the ultimate accountability, the voters. Appointed boards would continue with appointments for specific terms of office which allows the voters input at the time of the re-appointment. Without specific terms of office, as in the mayoral proposal, the appointee can serve as long as he or she makes the mayor happy. There is no ability for periodic review. The council approves them only the first time and that is it. Also the mayor can discharge any member at any time, even if the council is thrilled with his/her performance. For example, if the mayor disagrees with a decision of the planning board, the mayor can fire all its members immediately.

The current method allows for continued input on the structure of all these board s either by citizen input or by the voter of Braintree.

What positions would the town manager appoint, and what is the appointment procedure?

The Town Manager would be responsible for the hiring and firing of all department heads currently under the Selectmen as well as the Tax Collector, Treasurer, and the Personnel Director. In terms of the process, that is defined in the Personnel By-laws. While adhering to the defined process, the Manager would be the sole individual making the final selection. Appointments would be subject to rejection by the Selectmen within 15 days.

How is the manager appointed and what is the length of his/her contract?

The Town Manager is appointed by a majority of the Board of Selectmen from the candidates submitted to them from a search committee as defined in the by-law. The committee is made up of appointees from the Selectmen, School Committee, and the Moderator. One appointee with financial experience and one with municipal management experience is part of the mix. The committee forwards to the Selectmen the top 3 candidates. The choice must be made from the submitted names. The Manager may serve at will or up to 3 years.

Unlike the mayoral proposal, the removal of the manager can happen in a short period. There is no waiting until he or she is up for re-election or the gathering of thousands of signatures required for a recall petition.

A 4/5ths vote the Board of Selectmen, is what is required for removal. This number is high enough to minimize politics while still having reasonable oversight of the individual’s job performance.