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At Board of Selectmen Candidates, we asked the recall candidates to provide information about their positions. This is challenger Michael O'Shaughnessy's response.

See also Wayne Perkins Response, Greg Stevens response and Marsha Brunelle's response.

Michael O'Shaughnessy's response

INTRODUCTION

I should start by introducing myself. My name is Michael O'Shaughnessy and I am running for a seat on the Middleborough Board of Selectmen.

I have been a Middleborough resident since November 2003. I am married and I have two children. They both attend Middleborough Public Schools.

I have been a coach in the Middleborough Youth Soccer program since the spring of 2004.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University. I also have a Juris Doctorate degree from the New England School of Law.

I spent the early part of my career working on heavy highway construction projects on the Big Dig, as well as other building projects. In December 2003, I was admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I have a general legal practice with a focus in real estate and land use and development.

I have served on the Middleborough Conservation Commission since June, 2006.

I am not here to vilify the incumbents or suggest that they are "bad people". I am disappointed that the recall has taken on the appearance of being personal. Moreover, I have struggled with the decision as to whether or not I should run in this election and I have questioned the propriety of the recall.

I have decided to run in this election because I have lost confidence in the current makeup of the Board of Selectmen and their ability to act in the best interests of the Townspeople.

I agree with the Finance Committee's statement in its 2006 report, when they state that:

"The Finance Committee believes that the budget problems in this town (and many others) are a combination of reduced state aid, a political refusal to modify employee benefit plans and policies and the continuation of spending habits and contractual obligations signed into existence by town officials and ratified by Town Meeting".

For me it has become apparent that "the way it has always been done" or the "status quo" is not good enough and that the town of Middleboro deserves positive change. I am excited that the next configuration of Board of Selectmen will have the opportunity to work with a new town manager. I am excited that the townspeople are starting to take an interest in the Town. I look forward to developing a sound foundation (both fiscally and from a policy perspective) that future boards of selectmen will be able to build upon and improve.

Question. What experience do you have that you believe qualifies you for this position?

I feel my educational background combined with my practical and legal experience as well as my tenure on the Conservation Commission qualifies me to serve the people of Middleborough as their selectman.

Question. Do you think Oak Point homeowners should be paying more taxes (yes, this was effectively decided at a previous town meeting, but there are still voters who believe this needs addressing).

This question is governed by Massachusetts General Law. So as long as the Oak Point homeowners and the underlying property owner are paying the proper statutory fees and the proper property tax then the Town has no legal right to asses more taxes.

Question. The DOR report requested by the current Selectmen suggests that the Board should formally give up some of its present powers to the Town Manager. Do you agree or disagree with this?

I believe you are referring to Recommendation 1 found on page 7 of the Town of Middleborough Financial Management Review dated May 2007 prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue ("DOR report"). Since the town manager is responsible for the day to day management of the Town of Middleborough he (or she) should be given or assigned the tasks/authority listed on page 7. The town manager should be accountable to the people of a town for his (or her) decisions that affect the townspeople and town government. Therefore to be able to hold this person accountable, we need to give the town manager the tools, the responsibility and the authority to effectively and efficiently run the Town of Middleborough without micromanagement by the Board of Selectmen.

Question. Regardless of whether or not you believe the proposed Wampanoag Casino has positive or negative impacts on Middleboro, we need to get through at least three to five years before any of that will happen. What's your plan for doing that?

Question. Overall, do you feel Middleboro needs to concentrate more on reducing costs or increasing revenue? Of course "both" is also a valid answer.

Question. If the Casino does NOT come to Middleboro (or if it comes and is, in fact, a cash drain rather than a benefit), what is your plan for fiscal stability long term?

I do not believe that the tribe will have the casino portion of their resort open within a 3-5 year period. I believe the real time frame is 5-7 years. In any event, the Town needs to become fiscally stable long before any type of casino/resort is developed. This process of becoming fiscally stable is going to be long and arduous. Simply put, it is not going to happen overnight. Therefore, we need to start out on the right path.

To start the process of fiscal stability, I feel that the Town needs to develop a plan to reorganize town government to make it more effective and efficient. I believe a well planned reorganization and/or reallocation of resources will realize some financial savings to the Town. This is the responsibility of the town manager. Unfortunately, we do not have a town manager to undertake this reorganization therefore; the Selectmen need to start this process.

The Town needs to develop an accurate fiscal picture of the current state of affairs. We need to examine where, why and how the Town is spending money. Once a proper fiscal understanding of the Town's costs, expenses and revenues is developed, we can take the next step and develop a fiscally sound multi year plan.

The selectmen need to abandon the use of the so called "structural deficit". Using next year's money to pay this year's bills is a fiscally unsound practice and is part of the reason the Town is in its current financial crisis. It is important that the selectmen work in concert with the finance committee to achieve this goal.

Unfortunately, costs such as employee wages, employee benefits, healthcare, liability insurance, workman's compensation insurance and fuel are going to continue to rise and there is no way for the Town to cap these costs. The Town will have to work to find a way to control these costs.

We need to examine the services being offered by the Town. It may be more cost effective to outsource some of these functions either through privatization, subcontracting or, if possible, through regionalization. Conversely, with respect to hiring consultants, it may be more cost effective to have town employees undertake the tasks currently handled by consultants.

Seeking new revenue sources is extremely important; however, before the Town spends new revenue, it is more important to understand where our current finances are and where they are going. This is part of the reason that the new town manager needs to be provided, formally or informally, with the duty and responsibility to provide the Selectmen with realistic budgets and financial projections. Implementing most, if not all, of the recommendations of the DOR report will aid the Town in this process.

Ultimately, the Town needs to start investing in itself. We need to invest in our schools, police and fire departments. We need to find a way to support our library and COA. By investing in and improving all of our Town Departments, the residents of the Town of Middleborough will realize a return on investment because: (1) property values will increase; (2) the Town will become more attractive to businesses; (3) businesses will be more willing to take a chance and relocate here; (4) new businesses attract other new businesses; (5) town revenues will ultimately increase as we attract new business; and (6) as we attract new businesses and revenues increase, the residential tax burden should decrease, provided however, we have a proper fiscal plan in place.

Question. If you feel we do need to increase revenue, do you think we need to increase homeowner taxes to meet our needs, and if so, what is your estimate of how much they might need to increase?

Unfortunately, I am not able to directly answer this question. What concerns me the most is that I am not sure who in Middleboro can properly respond to this question because the Town of Middleboro currently lacks the proper financial controls to be able to provide accurate information to develop an estimated amount. I believe the DOR report is accurate when it states that the Town of Middleborough does not have the ability "to conduct and coordinate fiscal planning and analysis in a way that fosters structural balance and income stability."

Question. Do you feel that the Board needs to be more responsive to the town's voters?

Question. Do you feel that the Board has a responsibility to present clear and complete information to Town Meeting voters and if so, do you think they presently accomplish that goal? If not, what changes would you try to effect?

Please see my response below to a "blog" question that was posted on a blog entitled Titicut Green.

Question: "If, as a selectman you are involved in evaluating or promoting an issue which is going to be put before the voters -- do you believe that you would have an ethical responsibility to make a good faith effort to insure that both sides are presented to the electorate in time for a full, honest and proper evaluation before the vote?"

Dear Barry:

My name is Michael O'Shaughnessy and I am a candidate in the September 29, 2007 recall election.

I do not feel that a simple "yes or no" answer is a proper response to your question. I will respond by answering "yes" and follow with a brief explanation.

In my opinion, an elected official has a duty and an obligation to act in the best interests of the Town of Middleborough. In order to act in the best interests of the Town, elected officials need to gather and disseminate enough information to allow them and the townspeople the opportunity to develop an educated and informed position on a particular issue or vote. This process can be broken down into three (3) components:

1. ) The gathering and dissemination of facts and information;
2. ) Discussion and debate; and
3. ) Evaluation of the present and future impact of a decision or vote to the Town of Middleborough.

The function of the gathering and dissemination of facts and information component of the overall process is to educate and inform the selectmen and the townspeople. Information must be made readily available to the townspeople so that they will be properly informed. This can be achieved by making public records more accessible and by disseminating the information at public meetings.

The public meeting/hearing process is very important. A hearing provides the forum where facts and information can be readily provided to the public. This forum affords the opportunity for the townspeople to ask questions and educate themselves. The selectmen are able to hear the questions and opinions of their constituents. Most importantly, a healthy debate should be allowed to take place on all sides of a particular issue in the public meeting.

The final and most important part of the process is to demonstrate to the townspeople how a particular vote will impact the Town in the present, and more importantly, in the future. I believe this is an important role and function as selectmen.

The process should not be rushed, although there may be certain situations where the process may need to be expedited. Therefore, in my opinion, if the process is followed, I believe the voters will have had the opportunity to make a full, honest and proper evaluation before they vote on an issue for themselves.

Thank you.

Michael O'Shaughnessy

Question. If you are opposed to this Casino Resort, but it does become reality, do you believe that you can work effectively with the Tribal-Town Advisory Committee?

I will answer a question that was not asked related to my view on the casino/resort. I am neither a "pro" casino person nor an "anti" casino person.

I view the casino/resort as a business that wants to come to the town of Middleborough. However, this business is unique in that upon the happening of a certain event --- that is the land is being taken into trust by the United States government, this business and the land are no longer subject to the rules, regulations and authority of the Town of Middleborough. In my opinion, the Town of Middleborough needed an agreement in place to protect itself. Therefore, I voted in support of the current Selectmen signing the agreement.

Because I am neither for nor against the casino/resort and have no personal agenda either way, I feel that I can effectively work with the advisory committee.

Question. If you are opposed, do you plan to use the powers of this office to work toward negating the actuality of this project if possible?

No, the Town and the Selectmen are bound by the terms of the Agreement and need to support the project as required by the Agreement.

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