Saugus Town Meeting votes on Moderator duties changes

SAUGUS – Town Meeting voted 22-15 to amend the town bylaws that govern the duties of the Town Moderator.Article 19 was written by Town Meeting member Al DiNardo and makes several additions to the moderator?s duties, including refraining from providing “subjective interpretation, judgment, or commentary on any articles,” using a “public process” when filling vacancies on the Finance Committee and refraining from deliberations of the Finance Committee “unless he plans to relinquish the gavel when the matter comes before Town Meeting.”The article was nearly identical to a resolution passed by Town Meeting in 2006.Town Moderator Bob Long, who relinquished his gavel to debate the article, read from an email exchange with Sandy Gadsby, President of the Massachusetts Moderator?s Association.?I think that every one of these is a terrible provision to insert in the town bylaws since it would expose the moderator to the onerous penalty provision,” said Gadsby in the email. “If I were you, I would take a public position against these proposals ?”Violations of town bylaws come with a $300 fine.Gadsby also urged Long to deliver a “blistering attack” against the article.?We?re doing things here that we perhaps should be thinking about what the ramifications are,” said Long.DiNardo said he loved the current moderator, but what he loved more is “our system of government.”?It?s not about one person,” he said. “Life goes on, but what stays is this system of government. Let?s not make it a personal battle. We will come and go, and our children and grandchildren will inherit this system.”Town Meeting member Janet Leuci presented a amendment to the article, which issues a $25 fine for a first offense, $50 for a second, $100 for a third and $200 for a fourth.Leuci?s amendment passed 36-1.Town Meeting member Maureen Dever called the article “punitive” and said Long has served with “honor and dignity” for 18 years. Dever also derided the “whisper campaign” against him.?The new sections of this bylaw seek to control and silence an elected Town Meeting member,” she said.In other business, Town Meeting voted to add $1.4 million in free cash into the town?s current budget, which includes $703,000 to pay for the snow and ice deficit in the Highway Department.Town Meeting, however, did not vote on the town?s $68 million budget.Several Town Meeting members, including Dever and Peter Manoogian, argued over whether or not to take up a vote on the town budget (article 2) before voting to add the $1.4 million to the town budget (article 3).Manoogian said the warrant should be put to bed Monday while Dever said the town has never voted to approve article 2 before article 3.After Town Meeting voted 22-15-2 to vote on the budget, a motion to table the budget vote until the next meeting passed 21-18.At the beginning of the meeting, Finance Committee Chairman Robert Palleschi congratulated the committee for all its hard work and pointed to one thing he had never seen before that happened at last week?s Finance Committee meeting.?The Finance Committee actually gave a round of applause to the administration,” he said. “When you take a look at the town today versus where it was two years ago, we?re on much firmer ground and the outlook is much greater. I want to keep the ship sailing in the right direction ?”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].