If
you went to the school budget hearing on Monday night and the town budget
hearing last night, then you saw the best and absolute worst things about our
town of Landaff.
Monday’s meeting was run by school
board chair Dale Locke. He went
through the budget respectfully and thoroughly while explaining each
expenditure. He did not skip any
items. He knew what he was talking
about. He answered all the
questions. At the end Dale
repeated that if anyone had questions or thought of something later to ask, he
would be happy to receive a phone call or email. He was polite, patient, and respectful of the people in
attendance in doing exactly what he is supposed to do as a school board chair.
Tuesday’s meeting was a different
story. The selectmen were surly,
disrespectful and downright rude.
One selectmen even told a townsperson to shut up. It was one of those situations where he
was joking, not joking. It was not
okay or appropriate. As they went
through the budget, the selectmen highlighted what they wanted to highlight and
passed over or attempted to pass over other items. They even said, “We don’t want to talk about that.” Or,
“Everybody knows about that, so we don’t need to talk about it.”
It was also quite clear that the
board has no respect for the fire department. They took the opportunity to push the narrative that
maintaining the fire department is too expensive and undesirable. They have
requested that all firemen go through an extensive background check, which
includes financial records and employment records, in addition to the typical
criminal record check. This is
invasive and unnecessary. I
believe it is harassment of the fire department. The firemen do not have an issue with having a criminal
background check, but what they are asking for is more than that.
The backroom politics need to
stop. If the selectmen requested a
proposal from Lisbon, they should be upfront about it. If the townspeople want to dissolve the
fire department, it should happen after open, honest, and respectful
discussion.
There is no place for innuendo
about the character of the people on the fire department. These people have willingly sacrificed
much for the benefit of the town.
They have served the people of Landaff by spending hundreds (or in some
cases thousands) of hours of their personal time with both training and actual
fire fighting. They are
instrumental in Old Home Day each year, including paying for a band. They get absolutely no compensation for
their work. These people have been
willing to leave their homes and jobs at a moment’s notice to protect lives and
property. They deserve respect.
The two meetings could not have
been more different. We can
disagree without disrespect. Let’s make it happen.
