The time before Municipal Unions and Negotiated Contracts & the dissolution of Fire/Police Commissions towns were typically operated on the honor system, in which volunteerism was the hallmark of Americanism until it wasn't! Until cronyism incestuous promotional-ism of an almost mafiosi form of corruption issued in the advent of very necessary government change with unions scoring in that turn around for the betterment of most communities.
As populations grew, as has North Attleborough, Community governance evolved. Even as Washington now grapples with terms such as, Efficiency Waste or Down Sizing our town likewise faces taxpayers concerns of how effectively do we spend the very hard earned tax dollars of the taxpayer!
The Town Council Form of governance provides the over-site and executive authority to sustain the growth usually planed in advance as political history of North Attelborough is rich with these traditions. The current set of elected Councilors in my opinion would and should be acknowledged for their volunteerism with sincere gratitude. However, it is with an equal degree of displeasure that our town sees befor it an Administrative form of governance with over-site consisting of an acquiescence of duty by the Council to that group of expert Administrators with virtually zero accountability/transparency in the case of school department versus-es test scores or other larger departments having to cut back due to the influx of 67 so call families of illegals put up on Draper Avenue and the actual cost the taxpayer of North Attleboro shelled out to that end. Expenditures that have left gaps in necessary spending over those which give raises in salaries, security of pensions, vehicles that provide the ultimate in latest technologies, health care, vacation times & affordability of second incomes with Social Security benefits that remain UNMATCHED for a taxpayer like myself.
The uncollected attorney, the uncollected Administrator, Superintendent, President or Chairman of such & such has now become the uncollected official word on whom this current Council seems resolute to agree so often without question with such a robust spending model that the Landry Ave entrance is rutted with decades old traffic bumps, showers inoperable in both Mens & Womens locker rooms at the high school for years and years, an ADA non-compliance that effectively eliminate the town from Federal Grant monies. I honestly wondered how this current Council had ever even bothered to tour the High School and not address even one issue in their tenure on the Council. Despite the one Attorney on the Council asking for repeated address of taxpayer expenditures. Kudos to Councilor Mark Gould Jr. for at least making motions to address taxpayer concerns despite the constant barrage of heavy artillery being dropped from above in words and actions often seen as unbecoming of elected officials, while cameras are rolling and even after North TV stops recording on Council nights.
Yet you the taxpayer foot the salaries, without question, of over 110 Town Employees within salaries over 100K, (15 years ago eye-popping and 20 years ago..UNHEARD of) some well above that, according to 2023 #'s. One Town School seems only to have the custodial personnel as the only ones paid below the means of a new automobile or certainly not a mortgage kind of lifestyle income.
Walking around, the various neighborhoods in my town I don't see wealth in every corner certainly not taxpayers who have disposable wealth to let unaccountable tax dollars being spent on some things over concerns that this current Council seems all to, in unison, disregarding of taxpayers questions, concerns and how our tax dollars get spent.
Our slate of candidates each have some unique talents they bring to the table for the governance of our great town of North Attleborough and it's future. With a perspective that: The Taxpayer is in charge not uncollected individuals.