Saugus Charter Comm. finds 43 faults

SAUGUS – After five months of work the Charter Commission is ready to announce its first set of findings and they include 43 problems within the town’s governmental structure.The lengthy list was derived from weeks of interviews with past and present town officials, boards and committees and other organizations in town and from issues raised during two public hearings.Charter Commission President Peter Manoogian was quick to add that each identified need or problem has back up evidence supporting it. The information has been published by the commission in two documents, the first a list and the second a narrative.Manoogian said the commission isn’t even required to hold Thursday’s hearing but has decided to do so in an attempt at total transparency.Manoogian also said the list is thoroughly idealistic.He said – in a perfect world – addressing the 43 issues, which fall under six categories, would lead to a perfect government. But the commission knows that isn’t going to happen. There has even been concern among members that any potential change would only bring new issues of its own.The 43 problems listed are filed under six categories:1. Elections/term of office/vacancies;2. Accountability/public policy;3. Town Meeting;4. Finance/appropriation/bu-dget;5. Town Manager;6. Appointed boards/commissions/human resources.Some of the problems are as simple as fixing confusing or outdated language.Other problems, such as accountability get a little stickier.Enough people saw the fact that two un-elected entities – town manager and the finance committee – have the most authority in town with no direct accountability as a large enough problem that it made the list.Whether the manager should be elected or appointed, limited powers of Town Meeting, communication in general and if the Town Clerk should be required to be a resident of the area are a sample of other problems listed.Another problem is that a number of citizens simply don’t understand how the town’s government works.Manoogian said the questions raised are based solely on the structure of the town’s government and are not focused on any one person. And, along with the negative, Manoogian said the discussions also brought out a lot of positive aspects of the town, but emphasizing them simply aren’t part of the commission’s mission.The commission’s plan now is to follow up the problem-identification stage with a research phase to figure out how best to attack the problems. That will take the commission through July.Anyone wishing to see the full list prior to Thursday’s meeting can find copies in the Town Clerk’s office, the public library and the Senior Center. Or the narrative the commission wrote giving background to the issues can be viewed online at http://home.comcast.net/~pm1963/charter/narrative2.pdf and the list can be viewed at http://home.comcast.net/~pm1963/charter/list2.pdf. Both links can also be found through the town’s website, click on Charter Commission.Anyone wishing to comment on the issues should attend the public hearing Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall auditorium.