Groton Town Mayor Flax, and Councilors Morton, Barber, Nault and Moravsik are in favor of the Charter Revision Commission (CRC) recommendations that include the dissolution of the RTM. Despite overwhelming public comment to the contrary, the mayor and councilors are resistant to mandating district representation for anybody, such as a Board of Finance, that would serve as a replacement for the RTM.

Make no mistake – this charter revision is intended to disenfranchise large swaths of Groton and will consolidate power for a slim percentage of the population. These mostly Mystic-based individuals want total control of the revenue generated by both city and town taxes.

The vote this fall is critical for the future of Groton. Do we want to have a government that is of the few and for the few? Or do we want a government that is truly of the people and for the people? The CRC recommendations need to be reconsidered from the opposite perspective. The intent should not be to further remove government from the people but rather create a closer, more accountable connection to each and every district of the city and town for both the RTM and Town Council. New leadership is needed for Groton. 

Ian C. Thomas

Groton