We are in a state of crisis, the likes of which few of us have ever
witnessed. A national emergency has been declared to cope with the pandemic
and the upheaval that this pandemic has only begun to bring into our lives
and into this community.
As I listen to my friends, neighbors, and certain town employees, what I
hear is rapidly growing expressions of unease, confusion, and frustration.
In Charlie Baker, we are fortunate to have a governor who understands the
critical importance of a strong, highly visible chief executive to provide
honest, accurate, and timely information to help all us navigate through
this crisis to the best of our abilities.
Similarly, in Marty Walsh, the citizens of Boston can look, with
confidence, to their mayor, who as their chief executive firmly
demonstrates that the “buck stops with him.”
I could list other surrounding cities, where mayors have stepped to the
forefront, providing the quality most important to the office to which they
were elected – leadership.
And what about us?
Watertown’s form of city government, set by charter, divides authority and
responsibility between two different entities: The Town Manager and the
Town Council President (part-time) and the Town Councilors (part-time).
At this moment there are emergency decisions being made in the background
that will affect our lives. Do you know what those decisions are? Neither
do I. Do the members of the Town Council know what they are? I bet not.
One thing we know for sure about the spread of the coronavirus and the
economic hardships that will ensue: Both will get worse – possibly a lot
worse -- before they get better. From what you have seen so far, do you
honestly think that our local government is prepared to adequately manage
this crisis?
We are officially in a state of emergency and our town government needs to
swiftly move from business as usual to crisis management.
As the top elected official in our government, Town Council President Mark
Sideris should immediately take the role of crisis manager and provide the
community with clear information as to the decisions that are under
discussion and the reasoning behind those decisions. Only by having a chief
executive at the helm, will the community have the confidence it needs to
weather the storm.
If you agree with my assessment of the present situation, please demand
that our Town Councilors – elected by us − invoke an emergency ordinance.
You can forward this email with your comments to
TownCouncilors@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
There is no time to waste!
Be well, be smart, be safe,
Elodia
*____________________*
*Elodia Thomas*
*617.926.3952*
*We Are All Watertown*
