SAUGUS — Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano’s proposal to amend Saugus’s charter and become a city drew mixed reactions from fellow members of the board, with some saying they were open to amending the current form of government and others expressing outright opposition to the idea.
The crux of Cogliano’s argument is that Saugus has, or will soon, “outgrow” its current form of government — a result of the exploding development along Route 1 — and that more funding is available to cities than to towns. He has also cited a desire for the town’s chief executive to be more accountable to residents. Currently Town Manager Scott Crabtree serves as such, and is appointed by the Board of Selectmen.
Cogliano has expressed interest in becoming mayor, and as the leading vote-getter in the town’s two most recent elections, it appears as though he is well-liked by residents.
In telephone interviews this week, Vice Chairman Debra Panetta and Board member Michael Serino expressed opposition to the proposal, while fellow Board members Jeff Cicolini and Corrine Riley seemed to be more open to the idea, though neither joined Cogliano in calling for wholesale changes to the town’s government.
Panetta
Perhaps the strongest opponent of Cogliano’s proposal on the board, Panetta said she didn’t “see the benefits” of amending the town’s charter and changing the form of government.
“There was a comment made that we would receive more money as a city compared to a town, which I don’t believe to be true,” she said. “Over the years that I’ve served in town government, … the majority of people I spoke to want Saugus to remain a town.”
Panetta said it was her belief that the town’s current form of government — where voters elect five selectmen, five School Committee members, and five Town Meeting members for each of the town’s 10 precincts — was the “the biggest representative form of government.” She also expressed concerns about the centralization of governmental power, saying it was her belief that doing so is “never a good idea.”
A former chair of the board, Panetta said it was her belief that it would have been “prudent” for Cogliano to have a conversation with fellow board members before taking his proposal to the press.
“It’s important to point out that we, as the Board of Selectmen, never spoke about changing our form of government,” she said. “Is the question truly about becoming a city or is it about a change in who is managing the government?”
She added that it was “diconcerting” that Cogliano was considering a run for mayor should Saugus become a city.
Panetta said in her experience residents seek change in town when they are unhappy with its current functions. But, she said, she saw no reason to do so currently, with residents being “well represented.”
“Are we looking for a solution to a non-existing problem?” she asked.
She also praised the work Crabtree has done in the decade he has served as town manager, saying he played a critical role in working the town out of “financial turmoil.”
“When I was first elected back in 2011 as a Selectman, our town was heading into receivership. Our finances were in disarray, and our Essex Street Fire Station didn’t have enough money to stay open full time. We were about to close our library, Senior Center, and Youth and Recreation Center,” she said. “Today, we have an AA+ bond rating from Standard and Poor’s. Because of this outstanding rating, we were able to borrow money for the new middle/high school at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.”
Serino
Joining Panetta in opposition to the shift, Serino said he was “really not a big fan” of the idea, and didn’t understand the reasoning behind the discussion, or why the potential of amending the town’s charter was coming up now.
Serino, himself a former chairman of the board, said it was “absolutely not true” that cities would receive more state funding than towns, adding that grant funding is typically doled out based on population, and Saugus’s population would not suddenly spike were it to become a city.
Citing the Division of Local Services, Serino said the three primary reasons communities usually make the switch are for financial and economic reasons. But, he said, Saugus is thriving financially and economically.
“Today, we have $10 million in our stabilization account, we have $8 million of free cash, our bond rating is AA+. Under Scott [Crabtree]’s leadership in town government, I think we’ve done a really good job here,” he said. “I don’t even understand why Anthony [Cogliano] wants to change the form of government.”
“Economic-wise, Route 1 is booming. Route 1 will always be doing well economically. I don’t get it. I really don’t,” he said.
But, he said, if town voters approve the proposal, he would likely participate in the process.
Serino said he felt like the town’s current form of government was “closer to the people” and was concerned a city council made up of a smaller number of members would not necessarily protect town neighborhoods.
“I just want to keep the character of our town and the town form of government,” he said.
Cicolini
Neither an opponent nor a proponent of the idea of Saugus becoming a city, Cicolini said he would make a final decision when a proposal was actually complete so he could take time to evaluate its merits.
But, he concurred with Serino in his belief that the idea of cities getting more money “isn’t factual.” Cicolini noted that Saugus would be a relatively small city, with few comparable communities in terms of population making the switch.
Cicolini said he would be open to amending the current form of government to “spread out the responsibilities,” but that he likely would oppose a dramatic overhaul. He cited his parents each serving on prior charter commissions, including one in 2009 that produced a charter that voters shot down.
“It takes a lot of time, energy and effort to create a charter that encompasses enough change and still provides the proper checks and balances while allowing our community to maintain its unique identity,” he said.
He said he was concerned that town residents would reject such a “radical change” to the way town government is structured for “fear of the unknown” and the knowledge that making such a sweeping change would likely mean there is no going back to the current form of government.
“As I always do, I will take each and every fact into account before I decide whether I will or will not support the change from a town to a city,” he said.
Riley
Seemingly the member most open to the change, Riley said she was not ready to make a final decision and would do her due diligence on the issue before making a determination one way or the other.
“It’s going to be a big change,” she said. “I would strongly support public debate as to the options available regarding forms of government available in Massachusetts.”
One of the major benefits of the switch, she said, would be the increased accountability of an elected mayor as opposed to a town manager appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Riley said in her view, the residents would have more of a say in the leadership of the community they live in under a city government as opposed to a town government.
Riley added that the word “city” tends to carry a negative connotation, but she said concerns that Saugus would lose the fabric of its currently tight-knit community were unnecessary.
“Saugus is no longer a small town with all the development and everything that’s going on Route 1,” she said. “I still feel that we have a small community in the sense that we still have our neighborhoods … even though the name [would] change, it’s not a bad thing in order to get accountability of the person that’s leading the town.”
The way Saugus’s government is currently structured, residents don’t have much of a say over who sits in the town manager’s seat, she said.
“When you have a population of 28,000 plus, and you only have in the hands of a five-person board with a majority to keep that position, it’s just outnumbered,” Riley said.
Riley said she would be in support of amending the town’s charter — regardless whether it is to become a city or not — to gain that increased accountability and put more power in the hands of residents to shape leadership in town.
“The charter to me is out of touch when it comes to too much power given to an employee of the town,” she said.
