In the 2017 special election for Tiverton Charter Review Commission (CRC) there were 24 candidates running for 9 available seats. 9 of those candidates were endorsed by the TTA, and subsequently, all 9 were duly elected by the voters of Tiverton. The sitting town council dismissed the 12 months of intensive work by the CRC and put their own charter changes on the ballot, denying the voters of Tiverton the opportunity to revise their own government from the work by the duly elected CRC.

In the 2018 election for town council,18 candidates ran. Seven candidates were TTA endorsed and ran a great campaign based on “shaking things up” by introducing new and fresh ideas to solve the long, on-going issues and preserve the future of Tiverton. The 7 TTA endorsed candidates promised to end the “we have always done it this way” mentality, they promised an open government with fewer “behind closed door” discussions, they promised resident access to meeting agendas, they promised long term goals, less contentious contract negotiations, they promised to either follow the existing rules or change them, and they promised to implement an employee “code of conduct” to prevent some of the past, very expensive pay-outs for town employee misconduct.

Town council candidates Katz, Coulter, Cook and Driggs (Coulter, Cook and Driggs were previously elected to the CRC) were duly elected, again, to serve the people of Tiverton. In the 10 months since they were elected, they have worked tirelessly to kept those campaign promises and will spend the remainder of their term doing the same.

Unhappy voters from the 2017 and 2018 elections want a “redo” of the 2018 election for no other reason than they did not like the outcome and are using ridiculous statements, and sometimes outright lies, to try and overturn the results. The recall has absolutely no validity and is driven by the sore losers of the past 2 elections.

Voting is a constitutional right that must be preserved. The strategy based “just don’t vote” campaign has been difficult for me to endorse, however, because I know the history of the 2017 and 2018 elections, I am convinced that the recall is a total sham that voters should ignore. Consider staying home and enjoying your day.

McLaughlin’s allegation that this town council is not representing the will of the voters is a tall tale divorced from reality.

There were 18 candidates who ran for the Town Council in November 2018 and the “will of the people” elected as the majority Tiverton Taxpayers Association (TTA)-endorsed candidates: Donna Cook, Robert Coulter, Nancy Driggs, and Justin Katz. (Donna Cook, Justin Katz, and Nancy Driggs – in that order – being the highest vote getters.) Yet the lowest vote getter, William McLaughlin, joined by town council minority members, former president Denise DeMedeiros and Patricia Hilton, now claim to represent the will of the people in their down-is up and up-is-down topsy-turvy world.

But, if the majority who voted for this town council feel it was misled and its will is not being represented, where are its voices, where is its outrage? If the actions of this town council are so egregious, then why was third lowest vote-getter David Paull’s ethics complaint against Coulter, Driggs and Katz dismissed? And why were the DeMedeiros and Hilton Open Meetings Act charges dismissed? How come McLaughlin’s (the lowest vote getter) and two council minority members’ strident voices are all we hear?

Speculation about why this recall scheme was begun and has the support of DeMedeiros and Hilton includes McLaughlin wanting to change the town council majority to ensure settlement of his $4 million lawsuit against the town, and DeMedeiros and Hilton itching to be in control of the town council again.

What is not speculation is this town council’s accomplishments to date and its future plans: Contrary to McLaughlin’s allegations, it has expanded civil debate by allowing public comment on agenda items, and access to the agenda itself; Katz and Cook, the town council liaisons in the firefighters’ union contract negotiation, successively, and creatively, negotiated a contract and forestalled the anticipated need for arbitration which saved the town between $50,000 and up to $100,000 in legal fees; It scrapped a solar ordinance poorly conceived by the prior DeMedeiros town council and tasked the Planning Board for its input on future solar energy projects. (Unfortunately, for legal reasons some solar projects which had been approved when the solar ordinance was in effect can proceed); And, among other items, it is working on a long-term financial plan, ordinances such as an employee code of conduct to govern the right to receive certain benefits upon termination, and increasing openness and transparency in its actions (which too often in the past were shielded from public scrutiny in executive sessions).

You can defeat McLaughlin’s political stunt fostered and supported by sore losers, by not voting in the election. Because the recall charter provision requires a certain number of people to vote in the election, by not voting and keeping that number low you are helping to reject the recall petition power grab of McLaughlin and his cohorts which is so clearly against the will of the people.

During the last Tiverton campaign season, I talked to many people in town. I discovered that some are either not registered to vote or, if they are, simply have dropped out of the process and don’t vote. The answer is always similar: “I don’t believe my vote counts” and “it isn’t worth the trouble.” Both sides of the equation complain of this when election results show only a small percentage of registered voters bothered to vote.

However, this recall is different.

Recently a small group of disgruntled low-vote council candidates decided they want to redo your election via a recall? The reasons given on the recall petition are vague and set a dangerous precedent if the recall is justified.

I ask you, how is this McLaughlin recall stunt going to ensure you, the voters, that your vote counted in November 2018?

This recall stunt doesn’t work; it will only make voter participation matters worse. This recall supports the argument that your vote doesn’t count because it can easily be overturned. Even worse, it reflects discouragement in the system and encourages lower voter participation in future elections.

Really!! Why bother if your “will” is nullified on sketchy reasons by a recall? There is no reason for the McLaughlin recall except sour grapes and an aversion to what’s rightly done by respecting the outcome of an election. Furthermore, is it knowing and willful failure to follow the “will of the people” when Councilors vote contrary to a few dozen people who, at Town Hall meetings, expect favorable decisions to be made based on who is loudest on an issue? Why have a Town Council? Why bother having elections? Just have a show of hands at town meetings (and maybe fisticuffs), to determine town business, appointments, contracts, etc.

And two Councilors, Hilton and deMedeiros, both signed the McLaughlin recall petition. Councilor deMedeiros actually obtained signatures and had them notarized in her name. McLaughlin has a pending $4 million lawsuit against the town.

The “Will of the People” was decided on November 2018. This recall is a slap in the face to all who voted for Justin Katz and Robert Coulter. The voters “will” is in jeopardy of being overturned because a few dozen people are having a temper tantrum, not accepting the results of your election. So now they try to void the election results via a recall.

You shouldn’t have to vote every year, so don’t. Because of the way our recall process works, if not enough people participate, it doesn’t count.

That’s the best bet, this time around. Don’t vote.