Monday, August 10th at 7pm brings the next regularly scheduled Paris Selectmen meeting. The meeting may well be at the Paris Fire Station on Western Avenue. Or not. Be sure to call the Town Office, at 743-2501, that day to verify meeting location.
But come anyway, even if you have to stand in the parking lot by the Town Office and look in the windows, because the citizens of Paris must keep the pressure on the Board of Selectmen to represent the whole town and do their job properly. It is the voters who ultimately have the power, and we must never let them forget this.
Voters need to come, and during citizens' comments must ask:
*Are you going to respond to the lawsuit filed by former town manager Sharon Jackson? When this line of questioning is shut down by Chairman Ivey with the response that "This is under litigation and we cannot talk about it," ask again. And again. A simple answer "yes" will suffice. "Yes" will not compromise anything.
*Why are you choosing to close the town office one afternoon a week? It was not set up that way in the budget that was passed on June 13th. Other arrangements were made to save the money you seem to be claiming to save. How do you justify this change?
*Who authorized Chief Verrier to fire a patrolman? And who authorized him to hire an office clerk for an hourly rate that was more than budgeted? He does not have the authority, nor is it his job to do either of those things. Who is accountable here? Whose agenda is being served?
*Whose interests are you serving as Selectmen right now? There are questions you refuse to answer, face to face conversations you refuse to take part in. There are hundreds of angry people in this small town whose concerns and interests are not being represented and who will not be put down by name calling (see Advertiser-Democrat article, 8/6/09) or being ignored (see August 4, this site). Who, specifically, are you serving?
Paris voters, come and demand answers to these questions and bring your own questions, as well. The government of a town is intended to serve all the people of a town, not be used as a tool to serve a select few. Everyone in a town matters and deserves to be recognized.
