To the editor:

Letters to the editor are often based on opinion, however when a writer states a blatantly incorrect conversation that took place at a public meeting, a meeting that the writer did not attend, credibility and integrity are severely compromised.

David Paull stated that during a Tiverton Charter Review (CRC) meeting last month, the CRC discussed eliminating the Tiverton Police Department and contracting the work to the Rhode Island State Police. The CRC conversation was regarding a proposal that would give the Town Council and School Committee more flexibility to structure town departments, with the charter stating that the town shall or must provide services, but would not dictate how to structure the departments. The police department was used as an example of how this proposal would work. At no time did any CRC member advocate disbanding the Tiverton Police Department, or any other department.

David Paull also claims that “the TTA is anti-union, anti-public schools, anti-library.” No, Mr. Paull, your credibility is once again compromised with this statement. The TTA advocates a voter choice democracy structure of government, meaning the voters decide by majority vote which CRC proposed amendments to the charter they want, the voters decides, through the FTR process, how unrestricted revenue will be spent, and the voters decided last July who they trust to represent them on the Charter Review Commission.

The CRC sent a written request last August, and the Town Council agreed to video record CRC meetings. There have been at least 21 meetings to date with only four video recorded and no explanation as to why the recordings did not continue. The CRC meets regularly on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, meeting minutes can be found on the Secretary of State website and all proposals submitted to date are on the town website. All proposals go through a series of discussions and votes unless a proposal is withdrawn by the sponsor or is voted is down by a majority vote of the Commission to not continue.

Please contact TivertonCRC@cox.net with for any questions, suggestions, concerns or to request information, but please do not rely on people that do not attend CRC meetings and state in letters to the editor what they think may have occurred.

Laura Rom

Tiverton