The town of Skowhegan has many great things happening. Businesses have stepped up over the last two years to help citizens and each other. Our town employees have continued important work during this entire pandemic and have delivered key services to the town residents. Every day citizens and local churches have stepped to help people as well.

I highlight these things because recent unprofessional behavior and spectacles at meetings of the Board of Selectmen run counterproductive to all those things. Recent and ongoing behavior on the board only hurts our citizens and our businesses. I would ask the board to return to meetings that are orderly, respectful and follow recommendations by the Maine Municipal Association. It is time that board revisit its own Selectman Guidelines Document to better align with the town’s code of conduct and personnel policy. I would suggest the board meet with an attorney to discuss/review town policies and reach out to Maine Municipal to recommend training for the board members.

In the short-term, meetings should be run with one person speaking, and comments and questions should be directed through the chair. Those not on the board should address the chair, and should be required to go to the microphone and identify themselves. If meetings become heated, then the board should consider taking a short recess. These practices would increase both the citizen’s faith in our democratic process as well as improve the public’s ability to engage and participate.

Nobody should be silenced, but we should have orderly discussion and respectful debate. People locally and around the state and beyond are watching.

Jeff McCabe

Skowhegan