Live reporting: Treasurer/Collector

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 
Jim Dacey, Treasurer-Collector

Discussion on current proposal as drafted to start the work to move the position to an elected one

Kelly - can we handle this as we do the school principal?
Nutting - that is the recruitment process, does the council start getting involved every time something comes up. When I recommended the promotion of the current chief, we did that local as we had a candidate

Nutting - when someone comes in from the outside it is a different story, as soon as you get a committee it becomes an open meeting

Powderly - this is changing in general terms, the fine details of the process remain to be defined. While it is an elected position in some communities, the size of the budget does become the determinant?
Dacey - yes, the size of the budget is a key factor

Mercer - you get to choose the candidate and bring it to us?
Nutting - yes, there is a check in balance, we need to keep politics out of it. That would be true of any appointment

Dacey - to get the best possible candidate then we need to have it appointed

Jones - I think we need to let the voters determine this. I don't think we should take a position from the public.

Bissanti - do you feel that on a day to day basis, that you need to be in the trenches?
Dacey - my role is very hands on, there are things I do that no one else in the office does. Tax taking, investment choices, it is very hands on. My assistant is buried right now with the work that she has to do. If she would be the one to support the new treasurer, she would be hard pressed

Powderly - while moving from elected to appoint, the residents don't loose their voice. The Councilors hear from folks all the time. That won't change. I will always favor a Franklin resident, if I have to choose between three Franklin resident and some one who is very well qualified, for the stability of town I would go outside. It is a hard choice. No one can tell us more accurately than you what is needed. That is the most convincing argument. It can be seen as taking power away from people but I don't see that.

Jones - I think the voters are smarter than we think

Dacey - the problem is when someone is in for a week and messes things up, you won't be able to recover from it. It was almost three years before I go the job down pat.