The On Brookline Voter’s Guide.
By Jim Conley • Apr 30th, 2008 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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Here’s On Brookline’s exclusive guide to the May 6th local ballot. As always, we strive for fairness and balance in matters of public import.
Brookline Selectmen Candidates
Dick Benka - Appears capable of thinking on his own, but endorsed by several of the more despicable people in Brookline politics. Likes math (yikes). Retired from big law firm, so does not need to use selectman’s seat to drum up local business.
Nancy Daly - Collective IQ drops when she walks into the room. Nothing more than Pinocchio to Town Administrator Richard Kelliher’s Geppetto. Cruel and unfair treatment of Arthur Conquest is hallmark of a rather disastrous three year stint. Called the lawsuit by 75 residents over the St. Aidan’s project “outrageous behavior”; preferring, it would seem, that they suck in heavy doses of lead and asbestos during construction. (Publisher’s note: On Brookline is secretly rooting that Daly pull it out, thus preventing a veritable gold mine of material from tapping out.)
Gil Hoy - Elocution and posture is nearly perfect. Casts himself as the “conscious of the board.” When the heat’s on, will wither like a hydrangea in August. Questions concerning contact with Boston Police led to his resigning as chair of the board last year. Forget that, questions ought to center on why — after twelve years — he appears to be the last to know what’s going on in town government.
School Committee
Arthur Conquest - A man in the news, no doubt. On Brookline is full fantasy mode over the first school committee meeting when the superintendent and high school headmaster start shoveling the manure over the performance of minority students with Conquest on the board.
Susan Ditkoff - Who? All of the clueless current members of the school committee have endorsed her. Enough said.
Town Meeting Members
Who cares?
Brookline Override
Yes on Both Questions - By voting yes, you believe that Brookline is a community without peers, and things need to remain that way. You are a visionary that sees a changing world and is ready to sacrifice the price of a cup of coffee to give our kids a chance to compete in it. A yes vote means that our crack town management can continue with its program of putting the needs of town employees ahead of taxpayers.
No on Both Questions - By voting no you are a selfish person who wants to hurt the kids and turn Brookline into a Class D community. You don’t get it. You think that a renovated town hall was a luxury we couldn’t afford, and now town government ought to clean up the mess it has made. You seem to think that $190 million in total revenue ought to be plenty to run this town. Be careful not to spill that coffee, it’s pretty hot to handle (especially for a primate like you).
Update: I always forget that for some (the town hall apologists), I have to disclose that the material above is satiric. The content was not contributed by the campaigns.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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IF AND WHEN “SELECTMAN” BENKA MEETS TOWN ADMINISTRATOR KELLIHER
If Dick Benka is successful May 6th, he should promptly review Town Administrator Richard Kelliher’s Employment Contract for the term 7/1/06-6/30/09, as the Board of Selectmen is to meet to review Kelliher’s salary, benefits and expenses for the final and third year of his term. The meeting is to take place at least 45 days prior to July 1, 2008, or in mid-May prior to the Annual Town Meeting, but subsequent to the May 6th overrides voting. In considering Kelliher’s salary, what might be the impact of the outcome of the overrides votes?
Benka’s review of Kelliher’s Contract might raise his eyebrows (and twitch his mustache) when he gets to Article IX Reappointment:
“The Board and the Town Administrator, provided each has notified the other in writing of their desire to commence negotiations for a successor agreement, will endeavor to reach agreement on a successor contract on or before December 1, 2008. In the event that the Board decides not to reappoint the Town Administrator, there is no obligation on the Board’s part to specify or indicate in any way the basis for the decision not to reappoint. If the Town Administrator is not reappointed on or before December 1, 2008, he may resign in accordance with the provisions of this contract and shall be entitled to his current salary and benefits for the balance of the term of this contract and also entitled to severance pay under the policy adopted by the Board of Selectmen on May 16, 1977.”
So, more than 7 months prior to the June 30, 2009 term expiration, the Board must consider Kelliher’s reappointment and a successor contract. If the Board were to decide not to reappoint Kelliher or reach agreement on a successor contract, Kelliher could resign and draw his salary and benefits through June 30, 2009, plus severance pay! Nice work if you can get it without working for it!
Benka of course was not involved with the approval of the current Employment Contract. Perhaps his long legal experience with a major Boston law firm may permit for a closer examination of this Employment Agreement than that of the then 5 Selectmen-attorneys who had approved it. But then again, the Town has Town Counsel (and her associates) for the heavy legal lifting on contracts such as this, which Town Counsel “Approved as to form.”
Of course, this is only speculation unless Benka is elected a Selectman on May 6th. THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT.
A voter’s guide such as this will really spark engagement on the important issues facing the Town of Brookline. Given the emphasis you place on the need to “kick out the bums” in town government and install a more responsive and responsible group of leaders, I’m surprised your effort to inform voters is so sparse. I’m just surprised you didn’t ask any of the candidates their position on vestigial lampposts left in parking spaces on Beacon Street, as that’s the topic that’s received the most attention from commenters on this blog.
um, about that lamppost … maybe if the Preservation Commission takes up the cause of preserving it, designating it a protected landmark or something like that, then there will be some hope it will be demolished soon.
PART 2: IF AND WHEN “SELECTMAN” BENKA MEETS TOWN ADMINISTRATOR KELLIHER
While there is no requirement that a candidate for Selectman be an attorney, it so happens that all three candidates this year are attorneys. Only a few years ago all five Selectmen were attorneys. Selectmen serve only on a part time basis as the Executive Branch of town government and those who have law practices cannot be expected to attend to the Town’s legal affairs. At the same time, Selectmen-attorneys should not park their legal expertise outside the doors or their meetings and deliberations. The Executive Branch role of the Selectmen serves as a monitor of the administration of Town governance.
Town Administrator Kelliher has a full time job. Or does he? His duties are described in Article X of the Employment Contract referenced in an earlier comment on this post. Mr. Kelliher is listed as an active attorney with the MA Board of Bar Overseers. If Dick Benka is elected a Selectman on May 6th, he might wish to take a look at Article XII. Outside Activities, of the Contract:
“The Town Administrator may accept speaking, writing, lecturing, teaching or other engagements of a professional nature as he sees fit, provided they do not interfere with the performance and discharge of his duties and responsibilities as Town Administrator. Any such engagements that are scheduled for performance over a cycle in excess of five (5) days must be sanctioned and approved in advance by the Chair of the Board of Selectmen.”
That’s pretty broad and permissive. But how is this Article XII monitored? How have the Selectmen been monitoring whether any of Mr. Kelliher’s outside activities may interfere with his duties and responsibilities as Town Administrator? The Contract fails to provide for any documentation, except for a cycle in excess of five (5) days. (This is a loophole that many trucks could be driven through by even a novice attorney.) Shouldn’t the Contract at a minimum have provided for periodic disclosures of any such outside activities, including compensation received by Mr. Kelliher therefor? It isn’t that Mr. Kelliher is underpaid by the Town; or is it? (Keep in mind the overrides.)
The Board of Selectmen has in the past approved legal documents relative to the Webster Street Hotel and the B-2 parcels that seem not to have been protective of the Town’s interests despite the fact that several attorneys were serving on the Board at such times. Perhaps Dick Benka might make a difference if his campaign is successful on May 6th. But don’t hold your breaths. After all, this is Brookline. (And there may be contracts of other Town managers with goodies similar to Mr. Kelliher’s.)
THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT!