Michael Brooks

I do not think that due consideration has been given to the impact of these changes on small towns with limited numbers of people participating in local government. I willingly wear a number of different hats in the Town of Madison for no other reason but to do the best that I can to serve the Town, keep town government small and to try and stop bad things from happening here. There is no personal gain. I am not 100% clear what impact this legislation would have but the fact that I am the Town Clerk – Tax Collector it would seem that I would have to stop serving in other capacities. Cursory review has revealed that if this legislation were to pass, it would impact every municipal board in the Town of Madison. It does not help us at all. It is, rather, harmful. It will make municipal government bigger than it needs to be. Based upon documents I have reviewed, it seems that there is a specific issue in a specific Town that you are trying to remedy. You are killing ants with nuclear weapons. There are specific remedies for actual legal conflicts of interest. At the very least, if this bill goes forward, I would like to request an exemption for first responder/fire/EMS positions. What is gained by prohibiting a Town Clerk-Tax Collector from holding a first responder/fire/EMS position in a small rural town?