My Open Meeting Law Complaint

Ken O’Brien

The O’Zone has documented at great length the black comedy of errors that has constituted efforts to amend the Southbridge Town Charter.

First we witnessed the ineptitude of the town council in dealing with the original charter amendment proposals by the Charter Review Committee after a year’s work.

Then we saw the newly elected council dispense with all that work in two subcommittee sessions and ram through the politically driven result. 

Let's Close The Book On This Town Meeting Petition

Ken O’Brien

The proponents of the petition to return Southbridge to a Town Meeting/Board of Selectmen form of government repeatedly cite the 1979 Appeals Court Decision in Marino v. Southbridge as the legal basis of their case.

In that case, the court stated:

JAMES J. MARINO & others vs. TOWN COUNCIL OF SOUTHBRIDGE.

7 Mass. App. Ct. 461

February 15, 1979 - April 25, 1979

Worcester County

Present: BROWN, GREANEY, & KASS, JJ. 

Poll Indicates “NO” on Town Meeting Plan: Timeline Also A Problem

Ken O’Brien

After a weeklong poll asking O’Zone readers their opinion on a proposal to return Southbridge to a Town Meeting/Board of Selectmen the results are in.

By a margin of three to two participants in the poll voted against the plan.