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Residents press council on public-comment rules and budget process
Summary
During public comment residents asked that the council allow public input on agenda items and questioned whether the Town Charter should be opened to change budget thresholds; Chairman Polhamus said he opposes revising the Charter and described existing procedures for hearings and recalls.
Multiple residents used the Sept. 11 special meeting's public comment period to urge changes in how the Town Council accepts public input and to question the council's handling of recent budget matters. Kathleen Johnson asked why the council's agenda notes limit audience remarks on agenda items; she urged a format that would let the public speak during items rather than only before or after them.
Jim Fitzgerald strongly criticized the council's recent budget choices, alleging that the council approved a larger budget after multiple failed referendums and asserted the town had realized near‑term interest income and reserve changes that impacted taxpayers. "You also have an almost $6 million tax increase to the Town; that’s an $8 million hit to the taxpayers in this Town," Fitzgerald said. Chairman Polhamus responded that he disagreed with Fitzgerald's recommendations, explained that the charter precludes recalling an approved budget and said changing the charter would require creating a Charter Revision Commission and subsequent referendum.
