A conflict of interest occurs when an entity or individual becomes unreliable because of a clash between personal interests and professional duties or responsibilities. When such a situation arises, the party with the conflict of interest is usually asked to remove themselves or can legally be required to recuse themselves.

In the Academy Community Center Ad Hoc Committee meeting of Feb. 27, 2024, available on Youtube, at about 1:18 they are discussing the cost overruns and the fact that the public will be asked to approve or reject more money at a future referendum. One committee member suggests that a vote whether to cancel the project completely might be in the better interests of the public, because it is not fair to deliver an incomplete community center to the public. At that point, committee member and strong community center advocate Joan Walker vehemently objects to that course of action, stating that if the public doesn’t approve the extra money, it would be placed into the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget and completed anyway. Ms. Walker appears to be speaking for the entire CIP committee.

Each year, the CIP committee agrees on what items are necessary for the operation of the town, and then the CIP becomes part of what we vote for in the annual budget. Joan Walker also happens to be a member of the CIP committee. I call on our Board of Selectmen to immediately remove Joan from this committee to eliminate this conflict.

Voters will be disenfranchised if town leaders allow the cost overruns for this project to be buried in the CIP account, in the event that we vote it down. An option must be presented for a completed community center within the given budget; and if this cannot be done, the revote must be for the entire project, not just the overruns.

Janet Nicolini

Madison