Politics & Government

Political Talk Heats Up at Seekonk Meeting

A Board of Selectmen candidate's allegation the town "was squandering" money angers a sitting selectman.

Campaign politics made their way into the Seekonk Board of Selectmen meeting Wednesday night, leading to some intense moments.

The drama began toward the end of the meeting when Selectman Francis Cavaco called selectmen candidate David Viera to the podium to answer a question about his statement made at the recent that "the town was squandering approximately $3 million."

Cavaco was unable to finish asking the question before Viera told him he would not answer. The selectman then turned to Town Administrator Pamela Nolan for a response.

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"Our budget is very tight," she said. "We don't have $3 million to squander."

Nolan said the so-called squandering was supposedly discovered during the pay-increase arbitration between town management and the fire/police employees. Former Attleboro Mayor Judy Robbins, who was involved in the arbitration, said Seekonk Finance Director Bruce Alexander had underestimated the town's revenue by $300,000.

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"How that possibly could go to $3 million is beyond me," Nolan said.

Board Chairman Dave Parker, who is the only incumbent among the five candidates in the contest for two selectmen seats, said of Viera's statement at the forum, "I am completely aware of what was intended and I am completely aware of what was said ... The wrong word was used to describe it. But the idea was correct."

He would not elaborate because he said arbitration should not be discussed in public. 

Fellow candidate Gary Sagar said during the Community Speaks session of the meeting that some of the statements made during the candidates forum "are troubling." He asked that a discussion on the video of the forum, which appears on the Seekonk Republican Committee's website, be put on the agenda for next week's Board of Selectmen meeting. A majority of the board was not interested in doing this.

"It's politics as usual and I don't think the board should be involved in that," Selectman Bob McLintock said.

Later during Community Speaks, former Seekonk veterans agent Don Kinniburgh said Cavaco's calling Viera to the podium was political and inappropriate.

"This is the first time tonight that I have ever seen something like that done … There's no place for that on the Board of Selectmen, and we're keeping an eye on you, Mr. Cavaco," Kinniburgh said.

Cavaco responded, "I didn't make a statement of who the individual was [that had asked about the alleged squandering of money]. If Mr. Kinninburgh doesn't like it, that's too bad."


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