To the editor:

I always believed that election results represented the truest measure of the will of the people, but apparently not according to the Tiverton Taxpayers Association (TTA). In the 2018 election, the TTA acquired a one-seat majority on the town council. Eleven months later, suffering a meaningful case of buyer’s remorse, Tiverton held another election.  The recall election results sent TTA endorsed councilors Robert Coulter and Justin Katz packing by a landslide margin of 95% and undid the TTA majority. 

Less than one month later, TTA member and local GOP chair Richard Rom has filed recall papers against three non-TTA endorsed council members.  One of his targets has only been seated as a council member for two meetings. His primary reason as stated on the recall petition is “the will of the people” and “to correct the mighty wrong done by overturning the 2018 Town Council general election and to restore the balance of power to that of the 2018 election.”

I’ll let you take a minute to read Mr. Rom’s statement again.  Mr. Rom and company are promoting a recall because they don’t like last month’s election results.

Rom, Coulter, and Katz have enlisted the state GOP organization, including Sue Cienki, Ken Block and others, to assist in their quest by recruiting out of town volunteers to man phone banks and teams to go door to door for signature collection.

TTA members and supporters had openly threatened a retaliatory recall should Coulter and Katz be removed from office.  The RI state GOP is a willing partner is this foolishness.  Evidently, our votes matter only when they win. Mighty wrong, indeed. 

Thomas R. Buchanan

Tiverton