Restore Balance on the Select Board
• 6-7-2010
To the Voters of New Gloucester,
Any discussion about New Gloucester town politics pretty quickly comes down to a discussion about Steve Libby, who is proud – and to some degree, rightly so – of having served the Town of New Gloucester, in one position or another, for somewhere around 20 years. What comes up over and over again is the time and attention and energy this man puts into the town. It is a claim that is absolutely irrefutable. But that in itself begets two problems.
One problem is that people begin to think and act as though the town cannot run without him - that it takes that intensity of engagement (which many in the town think has evolved into a style of micromanagement) in order to do the job; and it makes all the other selectmen appear – and until very recently, act – like second seats, no matter who the chairperson has been at any given time. The more Steve leads, the more everyone else lets him – it's easier, and, with the steady turn over in all the other positions – (another thorny issue) - it's easy for every other good and willing volunteer, like many who spoke both from the dais and from the audience at the Budget Hearing Thursday night, to think maybe they don't know quite enough about the facts, or the numbers, or the process, or town history, to challenge him. In a way, this is not Steve's fault. But you can't expect Steve to correct the situation.
The other problem is that it would take a saint not to take advantage of the power this longevity affords. Somewhere along the line, Steve decided he was, indeed, more ready and able to make decisions for the town – period. The result has been that he sees public participation as a formality, which is why department heads, town staff, and town voters have found it harder and harder to be heard, or to get straight answers to legitimate questions.
It's time for balance to be restored to the Board of Selectmen, and to town government. Electing Jean Couturier and Josh McHenry to the Board will give everyone – officials and voters alike – a much-needed fresh start. There are many ways in which Steve Libby can continue service to the town without holding an elected position, if he wants to. And he just might find it a relief, with his young family, to take a break.
Sincerely,
Penny Hilton
