Tiverton Town Council Hearing On Charter Complaint Against Town Clerk Monday

The Tiverton Town Council will hear testimony from resident Justin Katz against the handling of a recent charter complaint by the town clerk during tonight's meeting.

The Tiverton Town Council will hear testimony tonight on whether the town clerk violated the town's charter when ruling on a separate October charter violation complaint. Resident and former School Committee candidate Justin Katz accused Town Clerk Nancy Mello of violating Sec. 1211(a) of the town's charter when she dismissed a complaint in October that accused a Tiverton School Department employee of displaying political messages on her desk in the Fort Barton Elementary School's main office. After conferring with the town's solicitor, Andrew Teitz, Mello investigated the complaint in accordance with her charge within of the town charter. Ultimately, she recommended the council take no action on the complaint, deciding that the complaint …

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KSilvia

5:57 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013

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LETTER: Rules Have To Apply In Representative Government

Tiverton resident Justin Katz speaks out against the process used to vet a recent complaint about a Town Charter violation where a secretary displayed pins with political messages at school.

Tiverton Town Clerk Dismisses Complaint Against Fort Barton Secretary

The Tiverton Town Clerk dismissed a complaint leveled against a Fort Barton Elementary School secretary for having political paraphernalia on her desk.

After investigating claims that a Fort Barton School secretary was displaying political paraphernalia, the Tiverton Town Clerk dismissed the complaint last week. The complaint, levied by Hilton Street resident Donna Cook alleged that on Oct. 25, a Fort Barton Elementary School employee had three Tiverton 1st pins on a desk. "I was not happy to see a town school building being used to distribute campaign material from a [political action committee]," said Cook in her formal complaint. "There should be no campaign activity in our schools. The school department is in violation of the Tiverton Town Charter." Citing Sec. 1218 of the town charter that states no town employee shall attempt to influence the outcome of an election, Cook requested a…

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