Farley: Thanks for support

I just wanted to let everyone know that I appreciate the kind words, and I respectfully accept the criticism of readers and of council members.

Council members ARE listening Gordon.  There are some great substantive points made on this board, and we would be foolish to ignore them. 

I understand that people don't agree with all of my ideas.  Truth is, I don't even agree with some of them.  But I know they can be honed and refined into something workable in private and public discussion.  The problem is that council members REFUSE to study and discuss meaningful issues – even privately. They would prefer to await a recommendation from the City Manager and then act. 

I don’t quite understand it.  Perhaps their reluctance derives from fear of making a mistake, or alienating a friend or neighbor, but it is far too easy for council members to avoid the tough issues.

I don’t know how long I will be able to serve, but I want to do a good job, and I want to make good decisions.  There are a few good minds on the council, but everyone seems so afraid of ostracism and alienation by council leadership that some have become paralyzed.

I didn’t have friendships with council members before I took office, so perhaps it is easier for me to go against the grain.  I tried to earn the respect of my new colleagues without success.  And so, after a couple of months of being told, “No” without legitimate explanation, I just stopped caring about their respect.  I decided that I was going to play by my own rules.

Instead of waiting for support that would never come, I began drafting resolutions which forced council members to publicly take a position.  Some were outrageous, such as the one asking the city manager to explore whether a sale of the yacht club land might be in the best interest of the city.  Others were complex, like whether to reassess the under-assessed Festival Field which had sold at auction for $31 million several months after it had been assessed at $11.8 million.  Still others were financially important, like asking the City Manager for an update on the Clarke School loan which is scheduled for default on December 12th.  And others were totally innocuous, like the one asking for an update on the City Manager’s efforts to obtain PILOT funds from non-profits like the Preservation Society.

I will take a moment to briefly explain the power of the council.  Any matter can be brought forward by a council member at any time, BUT, it will only be discussed if another councilor says, “Second.”  This is where I have run into trouble. If the matter makes it to discussion, it can be tweaked, amended, referred to a committee for further study, or continued to obtain additional information.  Then, after everyone has had an opportunity to ask questions and grasp the topic, we can vote – on almost any issue. 

The matters noted above were all brought before the council by me.  ALL were rejected. 

On the issues important to me, every council member refused to offer a “second.”  By this action, they indicated their belief that my issues were unworthy of public discussion.  Take a look at the list again.  Putting aside the sale of the yacht club land, we should have discussed some of them, right? The bottom line is that if I offered a resolution which actually cured cancer, it wouldn’t get a second.

When a council member criticizes my tone, it is because I’ve expressed excessive frustration at this process.  I will work on that.  But the next time a fellow council member (like nptresident) criticizes my tactics, please know that they are expressing resentment at having to make ANY decision.

This is why new candidates for city council and for school committee are so important – so that new ideas can get a fair and public review.  If you are interested in these issues, please consider running for office.  Give me a call and I’ll help you fill out the campaign paperwork (unless you want to run against Kate Leonard – ‘cause she’s my girl!).  But seriously though, I’ll help anyone step into the ring – including those who flayed me on Wednesday night.  It’s that important.  Thanks for reading.