Why An Ex-Mayor Should Not Be Town Manager

Ken O’Brien

It is no secret to regular readers of The O’Zone that I have long advocated that Southbridge adopt a strong mayor form of government.

I have argued that, given the dire straits in which the town finds itself, such a form of government would be the only means of addressing them. 

Group Seeks To Upgrade Town Government From 2.0 To 1.2

Ken O’Brien

The Worcester telegram reports that the Southbridge group calling itself “We The People” has obtained the required number of certified signatures to have its plan to return to a selectmen/town meeting form of government placed on the June ballot.

Town Clerk Madaline Daoust said that of the 705 signatures turned in, 587 had been certified. That was 18 more than the 569 required as mandated by the Town Charter. The charter sets the threshold as 5% of the registered voters at the time of last regular town election.

Easy To Be Hard

Ken O’Brien

As I was watching the early part of the Southbridge Town Council Meeting last Monday night I was genuinely excited.

There were two reasons for this.

First, and perhaps foremost, was that I was finally going to be able to say something positive about our town’s Economic Development and Planning Department. Followers of The O’Zone know that I have been a relentless critic of this office and its Director. But, really, they make it so easy to be hard. Most recently I pointed out their failure to have the Southbridge Technology and Environment Park mentioned in a web-site devoted to promoting business-ready sites in Massachusetts.

Southbridge - Mayor Maybe? (Vote in our poll)

Ken O’Brien

With the imminent departure of Town Manager Christopher Clark I believe that it is time to resurrect a proposal that I have put forward in the past. I have been encouraged as well by several people asking me to create a poll gauging public interest in such a proposal.

The issue in question is the proposition that Southbridge switch from its current town manager/council form of government to a mayor/council format. 

Candidate Emerges For Next Southbridge Town Manager

Southbridge Consultant and EDC Member Cite Greenfield and Northampton as Models - Both Have Mayors

Ken O’Brien

Today’s Southbridge Evening News features a front page article titled “‘Compelling story’ needed for downtown development”.

Ted Carman of Concord Square Development, recently hired with state grant funds to do strategic financial planning necessary to make the town’s long-term downtown redevelopment effort possible, told the new Economic Development Commission:

…he saw the same thing in Greenfield, where several landlords made no effort to maintain property and some sat vacant for many years. Over the last five [years] or so, though, the city has used a variety of funding sources and sometimes eminent domain to renovate and re-tenant five major buildings, with four more still somewhere in the “ridiculously complicated” funding process, he said. 

Government of the Apathetic, by the Pathetic, for the Aristocratic

As quoted from the alternative universe, President A. Blinkin

Ken O’Brien

The great Hispanic American George Santayana observed, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

An historical figure who has, for me, always been an exemplar of civic virtue is a little known individual named Cincinnatus. He is cited frequently as the historical template for George Washington’s decision to withdraw from politics after two terms as President.

The recent debate over the plan to return to a town meeting/board of selectmen form of government has reminded me of this.

As both the case of Cincinnatus and George Washington illustrate, in a time of crisis strong executive leadership is needed.