This is in response to your recent editorial criticizing town councilors for not keeping copies of e-mails related to town business. You quoted me as saying it is not my practice to keep any records related to town business. Your column made it sound as if I selectively delete town business from my computer. In fact I have an old computer with little memory. I routinely must delete all correspondence, business and personal, in order to keep my computer operating.
I also do not maintain a paper file, as the amount of paper we receive as councilors is horrifying. I do not have a spare room in my house to devote to town business. (I understand one councilor has turned his dining room into a file room.) I refuse to take such measures. Instead, I prefer to recycle the paper we receive (after reading it, of course).
When asked whether I had any correspondence related to the McGinty resignation I indicated to your reporter that I had none except the notification I received regarding his resignation, and that I never had any other correspondence. If and when there is a state law mandating such record retention I will certainly comply.
To suggest that by deleting e-mail messages my fellow councilors and I are “hiding everything” and “selectively withhold[ing] information” or engaging in “wholesale” withholding of information regarding former Councilor McGinty’s resignation is a cheap shot. We are unpaid citizen volunteers who devote many hours to town business. We have enough work to keep ourselves busy, without inquiring into the personal business of other councilors.
I know you are disappointed that you couldn’t make a story out of John McGinty’s resignation, but please don’t suggest that I am engaged in “wholesale” withholding of the public’s business simply because I do not know why he resigned and because I do not keep records that I am NOT required to keep!
Mary Ann Lynch
Town Councilor
Cape Elizabeth
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