Braintree mayoral candidates pledge change in second debate
An in-house legal department, town trash collectors and new department heads are among the changes the four candidates for mayor say they would make if elected the Braintree's first chief executive. Three of the four candidates said they would support dropping Kopel man & Paige as the town's attorney and instead hire a town solicitor. Joseph Sullivan said he feels the town could cut its annual spending on legal fees by a third if the function were brought back in-house. Paul Walsh said he would conduct a formal search for a town attorney, not just appoint someone he knows. Joseph Powers was the lone candi date opposed to the idea, arguing that the town specifically chose to hire an outside law firm in 2000, following the resignation of longtime town attorney Arthur Smith. He said that his oppo nents wanted to "go back in time," and such a move still wouldn't eliminate the need to sometimes hire outside law firms to work on legal cases on occasion. The candidates made their state ments at a debate held at town hall last night co-sponsored by the Republican and Democratic town committees. More than 100 residents -- many of whom wore partisan stickers or shirts -- attended the debate, which was broadcast live shown by the town's cable TV station. Among his other proposed changes, Sullivan said he would "negotiate ag gressively" with SEMASS, the opera tor of the Ivory Street transfer station; launch a major road-repair program; and work with the electric light depart ment to ... Video Rating: 5 / 5
Post a Comment