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At the recent Mattapoisett Select Board meeting, the Board was forced to schedule a Special Town Meeting because GOP Town Committee Chair Paul Criscuolo filed a petition to “repeal” Article 34. Let’s be clear: Article 34 — which expands the Select Board to five members starting in May 2026 — was passed by voters at Town Meeting in May and signed into law by Governor Healey in August. It is state law. A local vote cannot undo it.
Do you know what this is really about? A taxpayer-funded stunt.
Town counsel confirmed that any vote at this Special Town Meeting will be non-binding. Symbolic. A government-sponsored opinion poll with no legal effect. And taxpayers will foot the bill.
Special Town Meetings are intended to address urgent matters that cannot wait until the annual Town Meeting, such as emergencies, unexpected expenses, or time-sensitive issues. They are not meant to bankroll political stunts because one individual didn’t like the outcome of a lawful vote.
Every Special Town Meeting comes with costs: legal notices, staff preparation, Clerk’s office logistics, and police details. If it’s held on a Saturday, taxpayers may even pay extra to open ORR’s auditorium. All told, we’re talking thousands of dollars wasted on a meeting that changes absolutely nothing.
Even residents who supported this petition should be troubled by the misuse of the process. Spending public money on a non-binding stunt undermines confidence in our town’s responsible stewardship of tax dollars.
This can end in only two ways: the petitioner withdraws, or voters turn out and overwhelmingly reject this wasteful opinion poll.
Mattapoisett deserves better than a taxpayer-funded stunt.
Jeanne Hopkins is a Mattapoisett resident