Learning From National Politics

The Ron Belmont administration has been ushered in with great excitement and anticipation. Both are fun and energizing for the town, but can be a double-edged sword when it comes to politics.

Just ask Barack Obama.

Like Obama when he first took office, our new administration ran on a platform of change and created huge anticipation and hope for this year. Also like Obama, the new administration now must live up to their promises of change and better times in the face of austerity budgets and unremitting economic difficulties.

A clear example is flooding. Belmont has  that this will be one of his first priorities, yet any viable long-term solution will require substantial infrastructure changes and investment of funds that the town just does not have. Ditto, the upgrade of the downtown business area and maintenance or upgrade of community services—there’s a clear call for all of them and yet local money for none.

But the news is not all bad. I believe that much can be done with creative solutions and pulling together of the resources that already exist in the community, many of which have never been tapped or appreciated. I have suggested using PEPA and resident associations to progress the Master Plan at no cost, resident think-tanks instead of paid consultants and now add the suggestion of using news outlets like Patch, that have polling options, to seek resident feeling on the implementation of a town manager, rather than taking it initially to a referendum at huge cost to local taxpayers.

Each of these items are key issues on the new administration’s electoral platform and using these options would allow them to make progress quickly, ensure resident support and wouldn’t cost a dollar.

Similar creative solutions can be used to gain progress in multiple projects quickly and gain credibility along with resident support even with tight budgets. But it will take maximizing every one of those resources and opportunities to make enough of a difference to prevent voters from becoming demoralized in the same way they have on the national political scene.

One area that I feel was a wasted opportunity was the choice for deputy mayor. There is no question that based on experience alone, was an obvious one and easily justifiable. Malfitano has held the position of mayor previously and clearly understands the requirements of the job and knows many of the players he would have to interact with if called to stand in at short notice.

But one of the new administration’s stated priorities was to create a unified team, both amongst the board members and amongst the residents. It seems to me, that for a position that is largely symbolic (did anyone see Pat Vetere required to do anything as deputy mayor in the last administration?) it would have been clever of Belmont to use this position to show that there are no lines between the incumbent board members and those previously on the board.

Naming either Councilman Joe Canella or Councilwoman Marlene Amelio to the position was an option I would have liked Belmont to take advantage of. Canella is now the longest serving board member and has a broad background in everything from recreation to zoning. Amelio has proved herself an energetic and spirited representative with wide reach and contact with the community.

Naming one of them to the position would have cost Belmont and the new team nothing and could have been a valuable first step in proving that he has no lines between the new and pre-existing board members.  

At this time, no opportunity to achieve his stated goals can afford to be wasted and I feel this was a small misstep that will give incumbent board members and residents the feeling that "it’s politics as usual". He will now have to work harder than ever to prove to the board and the residents that this is not the case.

I have great faith in Belmont’s intentions. Having interviewed him throughout the election and after, I believe he is honest and ran for all the right reasons. I don’t envy the economic realities that accompany his first term and I want to see him maximize every opportunity to achieve everything he and the Harrison voters are hoping to see achieved.