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Councilor Says Choice Was About Competence To The Editor: Your current commentary assessing the recent performance of the City Council finds the decision to reappoint David Murphy must have been motivated by "fear and cowardice'" but in fact it was just common sense. Mr. Murphy is a more than qualified to be a four-hour a week part-time assessor. The job calls for technical skills and experience and to elect someone with neither would unnecessarily burden this already understaffed department. I agree that Leslie Fraidstern has "made a far-reaching...critique" of the assessors' office but it is not convincing and certainly not "withering." Rather he has asked reasonable questions that the City Council needs to follow up. This is council's job not the job of a part-time assessor. Joan Sarafin, chair of the Board of Assessors, is up for reappointment in less than a year. There is strong support for a full review of current practices as a way to educate the Council and to make this office more transparent to the city. I hope we will enlist expert help. Appointing a vocal critic without technical skills to "change" practices that the state apparently approves, would be reckless and demoralizing to the people who make this city work. Ms. Sarafin has been a longtime president of the Hampshire-Hampden Assessors Association and a member of the Legislative Committee of the Mass Assessors Association. We must assume she knows what she ís doing until we have a lot more evidence to the contrary. Mr. Fraidstern has done the city a real service in drawing attention to the dwindling value of commercial and industrial property as a percent of taxable assets. This mirrors a state-wide trend with many implications for the future. We also thank him for prodding the City Council to start creating the tools necessary for effective oversight of Board of Assessors. Mr. Fraidstern has been very careful not to question people's motives or character only their competence. He has nurtured the public conversation. Mr. Shanahan should learn from this man he obviously admires. Alex Ghiselin, City Council Ward 5 |
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