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Chariho committee tables chair election after dispute over state statute
Summary
Members debated whether to elect a new chair at the first meeting after the election, citing Section 10 of the Chariho Act; a motion to postpone the vote until the next agenda passed after debate and a recorded roll-call.
Vice Chair Karen Reynolds was nominated to be chair of the Chariho Regional School District Committee, but a motion to table the election until the next committee meeting passed after extended debate over the Chariho Actrequirements and whether an appointed member should be allowed to participate.
The dispute centered on Section 10, item 2, of the Chariho Act. A district staff member read the statute to the committee, saying that "within 10 days after the election and certification of the members of the regional school district committee, said regional school district committee shall meet and organize by selecting one of their number to be chairperson of said committee." The reading prompted competing views about whether the statute applied to tonight's meeting and whether voting now would exclude a Richmond appointee expected to be sworn in shortly.
Karen Reynolds, identified by colleagues as the vice chair and a Richmond representative, was nominated and supported by several members as a seamless transition and in recognition of her experience. Catherine Colasante, who stated she had consulted an attorney and said she would not be serving after this meeting, urged the committee to table the vote so the incoming Richmond appointee could have a chance to be considered. Polly (a committee member) moved to table the item until the next school committee agenda; the motion was seconded and then the committee engaged in a protracted discussion about statutory language, indemnification, and fairness to the incoming appointee.
Several members warned that knowingly violating the Chariho Act would expose members to personal liability and loss of indemnification; one member said explicitly that "if you choose to break the state law, you would no longer be indemnified" and would need to retain private counsel. Other members argued the district had precedent for leaving positions vacant until legal processes concluded and that Richmond currently had a seated representative at tonight's meeting.
After discussion, a motion to table the election carried. A roll-call vote was taken; the transcript records a roll-call sequence and the chair declared the motion to table approved. The committee then voted to table related subcommittee appointments until a future meeting.
The debate combined statutory interpretation, concerns about representation for Richmond residents, and repeated reminders from some members about the financial risk of legal challenges. The tabling preserves the status quo until the committee can reconvene with additional information or a newly sworn member.
