I must say in all the years I’ve followed Londonderry politics I’ve never seen as much as I have in the last several months. I take exception with the Londonderry Town Manager’s latest letter to the Londonderry Times. Mr Malaguti is clearly not happy when decisions or policy are questioned. The letter below (emphasis added) calls out a group that he does not name but refuses to respond to. The group is accused of spreading misinformation, conspiracy theories, chaos, and division.
After another local election, I wanted to take the opportunity to congratulate all of those who were elected and to thank everyone who participated in this important democratic process, including those who ran unsuccessfully, election workers, our public safety employees, and most importantly, those who voted. The weather did not cooperate, and many residents expressed their strongly felt opinions whether voting should have been postponed. That is a good thing, as we in public service expect and welcome such feedback. While the election may have been postponed if the forecast had been different on Monday afternoon before the statutory deadline to do so, the decision was carefully made by a public servant (the Town Moderator) doing the best he could with the information he had in close consultation with other town officials, including me.
Public servants doing the best we can do. I want to elaborate on this, because lately, this reality has been obscured by a handful of people who opt to explain decisions with which they have disagreed by suggesting Londonderry’s public servants are not acting in good faith. I don’t want to focus on or even respond to what these few people are saying. Instead, I want to talk about what we, as public servants, are doing. We work hard to make the best decisions we can for the community every day. Usually, I think, we get it right. Sometimes, we don’t. But even when we make mistakes, it’s because we’re human, not because we are corrupt or incompetent as a small group apparently believe. I think the vast majority of residents recognize this, but unfortunately, the loudest voices at this moment seek chaos as an end in itself, and are employing conspiracy theories, name calling, and misinformation to drown out everyone else. This is not who we are.
I would put our local government up against any in New Hampshire. At every level, Londonderry’s officials and employees go above and beyond day in and day out. Evidence of this can be found in every town department and all around our great community. Many of you have experienced it first-hand. While there is plenty of room for debate and disagreement, and while there is always room for improvement, don’t let anyone tell you we aren’t in this for the right reasons. We need the reasonable middle to fill more of the room, literally and figuratively. When you are happy with how something is going, or when you have a good experience with a town board, official, or employee, I ask you to speak up, because if you don’t, Londonderry’s most divisive voices surely will.
I try to take people as I find them instead of how others might be characterizing them. I ask you to do the same for us. I think, over time, you’ll find we deserve it.
Michael Malaguti Londonderry Town Manager Letter to Editor, Londonderry Times 3/23/2023
The next Town Council Meeting is April 10, 2023 at 7PM. I for one will be in attendance, the residents of Londonderry have every right to question, and hold town government accountable, to the residents of the Town. Mr Malaguti clearly feels otherwise.
Glenn Douglas
TownUnderground.com
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