BRATTLEBORO-Brattleboro Selectboard Chair Elizabeth McLoughlin’s primary intent with this commentary seemed to be to attack Peter Elwell, in response to his letter criticizing her performance and track record.
I do not find such a spat, and such a public one at that, to be helpful to the town. I also, however, hope to be fair in my assessments.
Has Elizabeth done some good things for Brattleboro? Yes, I think she has, and for some time now. Are the skills she possesses useful in her Selectboard position? Yes, I think they are.
What I feel uncomfortable with, however, is the attitude that Elizabeth sometimes exhibits. In her fifth-to-last paragraph, she states, “I will not allow Brattleboro [...],” as if Brattleboro were hers to “allow,” her fiefdom to rule over. That attitude — too self-important, in my opinion — is what I think undercuts her effectiveness and turns some people off.
We saw that exhibited in her recent push to pursue a zoning change that our very capable Planning Commission — that should by all logic have first been invited to weigh in on and recommend in regards to — was shunted aside.
I have also heard Elizabeth bring up her experience as a professional planner way too often. Is that meant to imply that she is automatically the superior person in the room? That may not be what she intends, but it can come off that way.
Perhaps it is time Elizabeth took a break. Perhaps she should come back at some future point, after rethinking the appropriate role of a public servant. Her capabilities have been and can still be very useful to the town, but it helps to be able to work with everyone else in the room.
I will personally be voting for Amanda Ellis-Thurber for the three-year seat in the coming election.
Michael Bosworth
Brattleboro
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