I am Harry Fisher, Chairman of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, but writing as an individual.
I have a long perspective on town politics as I served on the RTM and BET in the 80s and 90s. I have witnessed numerous replacements of members of the BET who had to resign for various reasons. Two of those resignations resulted in my appointment to the BET by the full board.
At no time to my knowledge did the party suffering a vacancy have its choice disregarded by the other party, especially to the degree that the democrats did at an illegal meeting Monday morning. And it seems the Board of Education acknowledged its mistake in that characterization of an emergency by ratifying the vote last night without republican support.
Today I spoke with a former chair of the BOE with a long-held perspective similar to mine. He also has no recollection of one party disregarding the choice of the party suffering the vacancy, nor of the Board of Selectmen having to fill a vacancy, which it did over 60 days past its statutory power to do so.
The actions of the democrat members of the BOE is nothing short of reckless disregard for tradition and best practices for a board in this community.
I understand that the democrats notified the Board of Selectmen prior to its properly noticed meeting on Tuesday that it planned to initiate a legal challenge to the BOS action to appoint Mr. Cappiali.
I note that it is required by law that the democrats pay for their own counsel and not expend any town funds for that purpose. However, continuing the fight will cost the town in defending the legal action of the Board of Selectmen, and therefore waste taxpayer resources.
I fail to understand how the town or the students will be well served by a BOE that will be at odds with itself due to this unnecessary action.
Thank you.
