Russ Hallisey has raised the question of whether I have changed my support for Medfield Day since I stopped running the event. I have not changed my support. I think Medfield Day is a great town event, and I look forward to it every year. I have, however, as Selectman, asked questions during the Medfield Day permitting process. I started asking questions when I learned about changes in facts and circumstances that caused me to conclude that questions about how to provide police services at Medfield Day were warranted and appropriate.
When I ran Medfield Day, the then Police Chief, Richard Hurley, advised me that the police auxiliary volunteered their time to provide police services at Medfield Day. In recognition of the volunteer services, MEMO made a donation to police. Since I stopped running Medfield Day, I learned that the auxiliary no longer provided volunteer police services at Medfield Day, and the police who serve are paid for their time. Last year I was told it cost the town about $4,000 for the police services on Medfield Day.
Since learning of the change from volunteer to paid police service, I have during the Medfield Day permitting process raised the question of whether the town should continue to provide these services at no cost or whether MEMO should pay for the police services. I have asked the question because I have felt that there is an essential unfairness when one group gets free town services while another group is denied similar benefits. I have recognized, though, that some taxpayers may support the idea of giving police services to Medfield Day at no cost. In the final analysis, I found that, in my role as Selectman, I at least needed to ask the question and make the information public so that town residents would be informed and could participate. My decision obviously has not been popular with some folks.
Two years ago, at a time when the town was being forced to lay off town employees due to budget constraints, my Selectmen colleagues both initially agreed to ask MEMO to reimburse the town for police services provided at Medfield Day. At the next Board of Selectmen meeting, however, my colleagues returned to report that MEMO would not consent to paying for the town services, and my colleagues would not compel MEMO to do so. It seems that my position has been unpopular on many fronts. Nonetheless, I still feel that raising the question was the better course of action. Town residents should have this information.
My efforts as Selectman have always been guided by the goal of making government transparent and of bringing information to the residents. I have tried to do this in the context of police services at Medfield Day. I understand that the question of whether MEMO should pay for police services at Medfield Day is a charged issue for some that has spawned a backlash towards me. I hope, however, that given the many other significant issues facing our town right now, we can pull together to do that which is in the best interest of all of our residents rather than that which is in the best interest of a few.
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