Thank you to the hundreds of Ogunquit voters who have signed the Select Board recall petitions. If you haven’t already signed the three petitions, you can do so at the Dunaway Center until Dec. 6. As you are aware, the recall of three Select Board members – Charles Waite III, Madeline Mooney and Robert Winn – was initiated for their failure to do the job we, the Ogunquit voters, had expected of them.
Former Ogunquit Fire Chief and lifelong Ogunquit resident Mark O’Brien, a dedicated firefighter keeping us all safe for 37 years, was wrongfully terminated for a minor infraction. He yelled at a subordinate. Mark O’Brien was fired without warning or due process, a decision perpetrated by our town manager, Patricia Finnigan, with the support of the three Select Board members.
O’Brien, on Nov. 16, filed an appeal with Superior Court. If and when former Chief O’Brien wins his appeal, the decision will cost the taxpayers of Ogunquit hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more.
This group of three consistently dominates the decision making at Select Board meetings. It’s time to ask ourselves: What is happening to our town? Can’t we do better than this?
A recall is the democratic process that allows registered voters the ability to remove elected officials from their positions before their term has expired. Recall is a tool that ensures government is acting responsibly. All elected officials should be held accountable for their actions.
“We” the residents of Ogunquit deserve a Select Board that is responsive, honest, transparent and performs at the highest level with integrity. For these reasons, vote “yes” on the recall of Waite, Mooney and Winn when the recall date is announced. Thank you for your continued support.
Jim Ronsivalli
Ogunquit
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