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Recently, when a resident, let’s call him CC for Concerned Citizen, wrote to the Select Board asking for a plan for Sewataro, Member Charlie Russo shot back: “what prompted you to reach out; Sewataro is not really near your neighborhood, so why the interest?”
That condescending question says a lot. Mr. Russo apparently believes only certain residents are entitled to speak up about town business. Sewataro is public land, purchased with public money. Every resident has a right to ask how land is being used and tax dollars spent. Attacking them for doing so is appalling.
Resident CC responded to Mr. Russo: “Friend Len Simon recommended. He is an advocate for Sudbury and thanks to him and others we have the fantastic rail trail.”
Mr. Russo retorted, “Please remember that Len Simon proposed this type of plan once before, at Annual Town Meeting 2022. Residents overwhelmingly rejected it.”
Mr. Russo misstated facts and misled CC. At that very 2022 Town Meeting Mr. Russo spoke in favor of Article 16 which requested funds to do a land use study for Sewataro. The official record reported: “Select Board member, Russo spoke in favor of the article. The Moderator confirmed a majority vote was required; and declared that Article 16 FAILED.”
Mr. Russo had even prepared a slide show to demonstrate how important it was to get a land use study of Sewataro. Slide show
Article 16 failed not because it was ‘overwhelmingly rejected’, but because it did not get a majority vote.
I had filed a separate article for a land use study for Sewataro, but it did not come up for discussion or a vote because I withdrew it. Mr. Russo’s claim that my article was “overwhelmingly rejected’ is false on its face, and misleading in nature.
Mr. Russo has scrambled the facts and misled a resident. The truth is simple: The land use study that Mr. Russo so badly wanted, Article 16, was rejected by Town Meeting. Mine was never acted on.
Misrepresenting facts and misleading a resident is bad enough. Doing so and belittling a resident for caring about town matters is worse. It’s a window into how Mr. Russo views the people he is supposed to serve. Such actions are unacceptable.
Sudbury deserves better than misinformation and contempt from its elected officials. Mr. Russo’s conduct disqualifies him from continuing to serve on the Select Board, or in any capacity as a Sudbury official.