Overheard just recently from a selectmen (not Ch. Ivey):
"I didn't hear him [the town's attorney] say anything like that."
Advertiser Democrat, 11-12-09:
"According to Ivey, town attorney Geoffrey Hole gave the go-ahead to re-hire, Tuesday, saying the Jackson suit 'could take years' to resolve."
"Resignations," p.7A
Tuesday, was it? Which Tuesday was that? The Advertiser came out 11-12-09...perhaps Tuesday the 10th? Reassuring, that is; to hear that our chairman listens and pays close attention to the attorney whose fees Paris taxpayers are covering.
But that Tuesday, 11-10-09 doesn't seem to fit quite right. Because on October 8, at 5PM at the Paris Town Office there was a surprise special selectmen's meeting with 6 items on the agenda; #4 was "Discussion and action on hiring a new town manager."
Ch. Ivey's point was that Int. Thorne had decided to finish up earlier than he had originally said, and had recommended the town begin to look for a new manager. [This site 10-12-09, "Why the rush, gentlemen?"]
Perhaps the Tuesday being referred to was the 6th... Tuesday, November 10? Tuesday, October 6? Both Tuesdays. Easy mistake.
But perhaps the Tuesday in question is earlier yet. Close examination of the NPC-TV DVD recording of the 10-08 meeting picked up on the use of past tense:
"Sel. Ripley: Mike made a ...with his memo his desire to have someone on board prior to the new budget system warrants us to...ah...and as you have...we've started...we've put the ad out...we need to move forward in that process."
[this site 10-08-09]
Possibly the selectman mentioned in our opening "overheard" comment didn't hear the attorney's comment because he simply missed it.
Might there be another possibility? Could this whole comment have been intended as a not-very-clever ruse to deflect growing suspicion about the motives for hiring a new manager at this juncture? At a time when the town is facing an unresolved lawsuit? And has no plan for financing such a position under the town's present budget?
What if the ruse is to deflect attention from the consideration of a particular new manager?
The question cannot be asked enough times: Why the rush?
A special town meeting has been scheduled for December 3 to ask voters to re-designate funds from an insurance settlement to a different project. That could be innocent enough...but then there is the questionable sales pitch for the proposed property revaluation: Get the Good Price by Signing Up Now!
No problem: simply borrow the money from ourselves, and just as simply pay ourselves back...within a year or so...only a little tax hike. Taxpayers love tax hikes.
And a new manager - just before the budget process. Precarious timing for a new manager.... one could wonder whether that timing was chosen on purpose for hiring? Whose agenda could this be?
