With two incumbents looking like they will not seek re-election in 2012, the Derry Town Council is in for some change this year.
But the change the council needs is not so much in personnel; it needs a change in attitude. The Derry Town Council is among the more nasty, ornery and, at times, unprofessional elected boards we've encountered. If there is a way to do something that maximizes anger, bitterness and discontent, rest assured the Derry Town Council will find it.
And because of that antagonism, the Town Council is more than dysfunctional. It is virtually non-functional.
Don't imagine that a simple election in March will change matters. The terms of Councilors Kevin Coyle and Janet Fairbanks will expire this year and both have said they will not seek another term. State Rep. Phyllis Katsakiores, a former town councilor, has said she is interested in running for one of the seats.
Coyle and Fairbanks form a vocal minority on the seven-member council, sometimes standing together, other times, pulling one of the other members over to their side. Coyle, a prosecutor by trade, has been willing to take the council to court when he believes it has violated important principles or procedures.
The departure of Coyle and Fairbanks won't solve the Town Council's problems. It is not necessary for the council to agree unanimously on every matter. It is necessary for the council to handle differences of opinion respectfully and honestly.
That rarely happens. Take as an example the recent question of charter revisions.
A charter commission formed in 2009 had produced a number of recommended revisions to the town charter. Voters were set to consider these revisions on the ballot in September 2010, but the state ruled the proposed changes had not been presented in a timely manner and ordered them removed from the ballot.
Throughout 2011, the council debated what to do next. On Dec. 6, councilors voted 4-2 to ask voters on the March 2012 ballot if they want to form a new charter commission and begin the process again. Voting in favor of the measure were Councilors Brian Chirichiello, Joel Olbricht, Coyle and Fairbanks. Opposed were Chairman Brad Benson and David Milz.
But then, at the council meeting on Dec. 20, Olbricht made a motion to reconsider the earlier vote on the charter commission ballot question. One of the supporters of the previous vote, Chirichiello, was not present, and, with Olbricht switching his vote, the decision was reversed.
The motion to reconsider infuriated Coyle, who abruptly left the meeting.
"It's just common courtesy, Joel," he said to Olbricht. "It's something you preach all the time and never practice."
There are valid questions to be raised concerning the wisdom of forming a new charter commission and taking the process back to square one. This ought to be a matter for debate among council members. Instead, the council found a way to generate anger and recrimination.
Indeed, moving a vote for reconsideration when all of the previous participants are not present is bad form. But it's typical behavior for the Derry Town Council, where courtesy and respect are valued less than scoring political points and getting payback for past slights.
That's a failure of leadership and reflects poorly on Chairman Benson. Rather than seeking to curtail these shenanigans, Benson is often at the center of them.
Until this council develops the maturity to handle differences of opinion with respect and professionalism, Derry will continue to suffer the consequences of inept and ineffective government.
