To the Editor:

Beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance by the gathered group of ~30 citizens, moving on to public comment around the importance of finalizing the union contract for the Highway Dept/Public Works Dept employees, transiting the lively board debate surrounding the informative Town of Colton Climate Action Plan prepared by the DPW Superintendent Darren Richards, and culminating with an unresolved discussion surrounding a recurring issue with flagpole placement (perhaps the answer is using a smaller flag vs moving the pole for a second time,) the processes underpinning our representative republic were on full display at the Town of Colton Board meeting this Wednesday.

Local government is the bedrock of American society and the processes in place to ensure transparency in decision-making and the opportunity for local engagement stand out as a critical differentiator of our republic. For example, attendees at this meeting learned of the ongoing struggle to staff the Black Fly and Mosquito Abatement program and were witness to the obvious passion and commitment of the leader of this department to provide a quality, and financially responsible, service to the town. Open to all, these sessions are highly informative and a learning opportunity regarding how local government makes and documents its decisions.

Left unresolved as the Board moved into executive session, unfortunately, was the multi-month debate/negotiation of the union contract for the members of the Public Works and Highway departments. I hope that the Board is able to overcome any remaining obstacles in this area so that these critical members of the community are recognized for the tremendous value that they provide to the local citizenry.

In closing, I encourage all citizens to avail themselves of their rights to attend these sessions in their municipalities and to engage with elected officials and salaried leadership for the improvement of our communities.

Jay Martin
Bangor