AS TAKEN RIGHT FROM THE HOME RULE CHARTER:
(Please note the BOS have ZERO jurisdiction over the any part of the school's budget.)  If Ms. Ecstrom has an issue with any line items within the schools budget, then she can join the rest of the voters on Town Meeting floor and question it and propose changes if desired.
The sooner that Ms. Eckstrom and Company realize that their official positions are NOT to micro manage the TOWN, the "Better" off we'll be.
She and others continue to suggest that there is gray area in the term DAY-to DAY operations.  It's very black and white.  Read it for yourselves...

Section  3 - 2      Board of Selectmen

(a) Composition, Term of Office - There shall be a board of selectmen consisting of five members elected for three year terms, so arranged that as nearly an equal number of terms as possible shall expire each year.  The office of selectmen shall be construed to be a part-time office and the compensation payable to selectmen shall be established accordingly.

(b) Powers and Duties - The executive powers of the town shall be vested in the board of selectmen.  The board of selectmen shall have all of the executive powers given to boards of selectmen by general law, or otherwise.  The board of selectmen shall serve as the chief policy making agency of the town, responsible for the establishment of policy directives and guidelines to be followed by all town agencies serving under it, provided, however, that no individual member of the board of selectmen, nor a majority of it, shall, at any time, attempt to be involved in the day to day administration of the affairs of the town, but, shall, at all times, act only through the establishment of the said policy directives and guidelines which are to be implemented by officers and employees appointed or employed by it.  The board of selectmen shall cause the laws and orders for the government of the town to be enforced and shall cause a record of all its official acts to be kept.  To aid it in the performance of its duties, the board of selectmen shall appoint a town administrator, as provided in article 4.

(c) Appointing Powers - The board of selectmen shall appoint  the  town administrator, the registrars of voters (but not the town clerk) and other election officers, the board of health, and the members of all other multiple-member bodies for whom no other method of selection is provided by the charter.

Note: Section 3-2 (c) was amended by town meeting vote at a special town
meeting held on August 2, 1993 under Article  6 by authorizing the striking
of the term town accountant from the list of positions appointed by the Board of Selectmen.   The article did not specify anyone to whom this appointing authority fell. Act was to take effect immediately on passage.   Sent to state on August 3, 1993, approved by the Legislature on November 1, 1993 as Chapter 211 of the Acts of 1993. 

(d) Licensing Authority - The board of selectmen shall be the license board of the town and shall have the power to issue licenses, to make all necessary rules and regulations regarding the issuance of such licenses and to attach conditions and impose restrictions thereto as it deems to be in the public interest, and to enforce the laws relating to all businesses for which it issue licenses.



Section  3 - 3       School Committee

(a) Composition, Term of Office  - There shall be a school committee consisting of five members elected for three year terms, so arranged that as nearly an equal number of terms as possible shall expire each year.

(b) The school committee shall have all of the powers and duties school committees are given under general laws and such additional powers and duties as may be authorized by the charter, by  by-law or by other town meeting vote. The powers of the school committee shall include but need not be limited to the following:

1) The school committee shall appoint a superintendent of the schools and all other officers and employees as prescribed by law. The school committee shall fix the compensation of school department employees, define their duties and make rules concerning their employment status.  The school committee has the power to discharge the superintendent.

2) The school committee shall make all reasonable rules and regulations, consistent with law, for the administration and management of the public schools of the town.

Note:   Section 3-3  was amended by town meeting vote at the annual town
meeting held on April  23, 2001 under Article 47 authorizing the changes to
this section.  Approved by the Attorney General’s Office on June, 1, 2001.

Towards the end of last nights meeting Bruce said he wanted them all to attend this Monday’s meeting with Ceda lawyers and Bay Pointe He mentioned that the meeting would have to be posted but then quickly said they would probably go into executive but of course they would open the meeting to the public first. Did anyone else catch what he said? Why would they be going into an executive meeting with Bay Pointe? Is the meeting with Ceda open to the public? It sounds like they are going to do everything in their power to give the Bay Pointe developers grief as payback for Westfield.

On a positive note it was nice to hear Mr. Cruz speak up and vote against the non- binding referendum from the charter review committee.

marny wrote:

On a positive note it was nice to hear Mr. Cruz speak up and vote against the non- binding referendum from the charter review committee.

Just one of the many reasons that the rest of the BOS supporters are now turning on Cruz.  It was a delight to watch him rip Bobo a new one for spreading false rumors that he was leaving.

Maybe Mr.Cruz feels like he may have "company" this April!!