It’s Time To End The Lawlessness

Ken O’Brien

It is fair to assume that publicly elected bodies will act in concert with the law, their policies as well as the will of those who have elected them.

The current School Committee has failed on all counts.

It began almost immediately following the resignation of former Chairman Patricia Woodruff.

The (then) Vice-Chairman invoked a little known clause in Roberts Rules of Order to succeed to the Chairmanship without the election called for at the time in the Committee’s policies. This was done despite the provisions of one of the other policies (specifically policy BEDD) which said, “Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised will govern the proceedings of the Committee, except when those rules are in conflict with the Committee's approved policies and regulations.” 

How Many Illegal Subcommittee Meetings Has The Southbridge Town Council Held?

Ken O’Brien

Rule Number 18 of The Southbridge Town Council Rules and Regulations states:

“All rules of procedure not considered herein shall be governed by ‘Roberts Rules of Parliamentary Procedure’.”

It has recently been brought to my attention that on a number of occasions meetings of various subcommittees have been held where there was not a quorum of the subcommittee membership in attendance. In order to resolve this problem the council chair or vice-chair has been called upon to meet quorum requirements in their status as ex-officio members of all subcommittees as provided for in Town Council rule #4: