SWAMPSCOTT — Select Board Chair MaryEllen Fletcher responded Thursday to criticisms directed to the board by Town Moderator Michael McClung over the citizen’s petition filed in early December.
On Wednesday evening, McClung charged that “the town has heard absolutely nothing from this board about the citizen’s petition” and that he anticipated hearing discussion from the board over the matter to avoid a disorganized Special Town Meeting.
McClung also argued that a Special Town Meeting should have been called by now, citing a provision of Mass. General Law.
But Fletcher shot back on Thursday that “if Mr. McClung was so concerned about this, why didn’t he pick up the phone and make a call?”
Fletcher said that the town is in receipt of a petition, titled “Article Submission Form 01-14. “Nowhere in the petition does it request a Special Town Meeting,” she said. “Which means, the individuals that signed that petition, they had no knowledge of a request of a Special Town Meeting.”
“I think there’s some confusion, and if he had made a phone call, I would have let him know there was discussion on the petition was on the agenda for the meeting scheduled in the second week in January,” Fletcher added. “You know what comes from with using the word ‘assume.’ He could have avoided this by picking up the phone.”
McClung also raised concern that several town meeting members have inquired about the recent departure of former Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald, and that no arrangements had been made to find an interim administrator.
“For the record, Mister McClung, Fitzgerald did not depart officially until the 19th of December,” Fletcher said. That being said, Fletcher noted their official first meeting after that was Jan 8. “Per our charter, Mr. Fitzgerald appointed Gino Cresta as the acting town administrator.” She added the town has had Cresta in the leadership role consistently and has received no calls or complaints stating concerns about lack of leadership in the town.
McClung also said that he had sent emails to the Select Board, Finance Committee and School Committee over how to move forward to comply with the town charter in finding Fitzgerald’s replacement.
But Fletcher countered by saying, “As far as him sending out emails to the members of Finance Committee, Select Board and School Committee, it is not his role to organize the search committee. His role is to appoint two members following the Selection from other committees. Once they’ve made their selection, he can add his two. All he’ll be doing is turning in his two names. We are following the charter.”
She said once the three committees made their selection, two selections will be forwarded to the moderator so he can make his selections. From there the Select Board will coordinate the process going forward. She stressed that McClung’s complaints are “his opinion and only his opinion.”
On Wednesday, McClung wondered “what is driving the Select Board’s complete lack of communication and transparency with Town Meeting, town officials, and the public? But your credibility – our credibility – is suffering as a result.”
Fletcher again said that this is the moderator’s opinion. “I’m extremely disappointed in the moderator’s behavior,” she said. “I’m disappointed in him making this out to be political, and that he’s just grandstanding. I do hope that we can come together and just focus on business and putting the town first.”
Fletcher noted, “With the departure of the town administrator, this involves personnel issues and privacy issues.”
“I thought we’d start off 2025 in a more collaborate and congenial manner,” board member Danielle Leonard said. “It was clear after the town moderator’s comments that we haven’t.”
Leonard said she’s disappointed by the way he approached the situation. “To take out his personal feelings on some of the board members feels inappropriate,” she said. “We need to come together and be more collaborative.”
