The Annual Town Election is scheduled for April 25, 2026. Three current Select Board members have decided to leave the board.
Ken Coyle is running unopposed to fill the one-year seat. There are three candidates running for the two 3-year seats that are opening up.
Each week until the election, Abington News is asking the three residents for the two contested seats questions to help voters better understand them as candidates.
This week’s question was:
Voter-approved changes to the town charter encourage all town boards to adopt policies that “increase public engagement and transparency” and “attempt to maximize public outreach, awareness, and education of matters before the board…”
As a Select Board member, what policies or changes will you propose to accomplish this? Or, do you feel current Board policies are sufficient?
Also, each candidates has already recorded an interview with AbingtonCAM Executive Director Kevin Tocci. They can be viewed here:
William Cormier
Ken Coyle
Daniel Eddy
Wendy Happel
WILLIAM CORMIER
Our town charter is basically our constitution to which town government is to function by. It’s probably the most important document we hold as a community. My favorite thing about the charter is it is a living document that can be changed by a resident petition not just by our elected and appointed boards and committees.
As you all know I have served on several commissions and have been affected by the charter more then once and have even reached out to Rick as he was on the Charter Review Committee for clarification on one of the issues. I believe the last review was done well. The changes brought forward were sensible and in my opinion needed. The hours the committee put into this should be applauded as they are volunteers. I am pleased with the changes and think that moving forward that would the town will only benefit from the changes.
In my opinion the most important change is the training and education of new board and committee members. Often times we see people come aboard with a committee, board, or commission with zero knowledge of Open Meeting Law or in some cases what the board, committee, or commission is actually responsible for. I’ve seen this with the water commission first hand. Several times. It also helps the new members better serve the constituents as they will gain that much more knowledge.
Their are a few charter items that I believe could us some further looking into. One of the being the emergency management director position. I don’t believe that position should be a stand alone position and not attached to another department.
Another charter change that I’d like to see is potentially making some commissions , committees , and boards elected. Many of the appointed committees are not getting new blood and it builds cliques among members who have been there for years. This makes it difficult for new members to bring new ideas to fruition and act in the interest of the community. Also maybe add some new boards and eliminate others that work with same department.
Honestly I believe change is always going to be needed as the dynamics lof the town is constantly changing. So our charter should always continue to evolve and serve the people of Abington. I also encourage people to actually look at t charter. Perhaps you’ll find something you’d like changed or added by a resident petition. Remember Abington doesn’t belong to town officials, it belongs to you the residents. Thank you for your time.
WENDY HAPPEL
I really appreciate the tremendous effort the Town Charter Review Committee put into this process. Reviewing a town’s foundational document is a massive undertaking and their dedication to modernizing Abington’s governance is clear. To be honest, with the time constraints I had for my own review, I couldn’t be as thorough as I’d hoped I’d be, but a few areas really jumped out at me as opportunities to sharpen the language and make things better.
When it comes to the Town Manager Search Committee, I believe we should update the selection process to ensure total independence. The seven-member Town Manager Search Committee section should include language that states no sitting member of the Select Board will be included as a voting member of the Town Manager Search Committee. Also, I think it would be beneficial if one Select Board member were appointed to the committee in a non-voting, advisory capacity to provide guidance, answer technical questions, and offer context without actually having a vote in the selection of finalists. This keeps the process professional and objective while keeping a direct line of communication open between the Select Board and Town Manager Search Committee.
The other point is about how we handle our public meetings. Section 7-9-3 speaks on the importance of transparency, yet it gives boards the option to vote at their first meeting if they want to be recorded or not. I believe if we’re committed to transparency, it shouldn’t be an ‘option’ at all. I think we should update the charter to state that all board meetings must be recorded for the public, provided Abington CAM is available to do it. We shouldn’t leave the door open for any board to opt out of being seen by our taxpayers. If we’re going to call ourselves a transparent government, the cameras should be on by default. That should be the standard, not a choice. I’d also like to see language added that all boards and committee meeting agendas and minutes are posted in a searchable, easy to read format online within a reliable timeframe. Recording the meeting is step one, but making the information easy to find and read is how we really close the gap for our residents.
I’m grateful for the work that’s been done so far, but I think these small changes would go a long way in making our local government more accountable and easier for residents to trust.
DANIEL EDDY
As a candidate for Abington Selectboard, I fully support the voter-approved Charter changes (especially Section B – Improve Public Engagement & Board Transparency) and will work to implement them right away.
Our current Selectboard policies on http://www.AbingtonMA.gov already include a Public Comment Policy and Public Hearing Procedures, and meetings are recorded and broadcast through Abington CAM/YouTube. These practices meet the basic Open Meeting Law requirements, but they don’t yet fully deliver the “beyond-the-minimum” standard the voters approved.
Here’s what I would propose as your next Selectboard member:
1) Formal Public Engagement & Transparency Policy – We will adopt a written policy (as required by the new Charter) that treats the Open Meeting Law as the floor, not the ceiling. This will clearly spell out:
- Regular public comment periods at every open meeting
- Simple, consistent rules for submitting testimony, questions, or written comments before, during, or after meetings.
2) Maximize Outreach & Awareness – For every major issue, the Selectboard will proactively identify and notify likely stakeholders (abutters, residents, businesses, service providers) using:
- Email opt in and the town website.
- Posts on the official Abington channels and the active local Facebook groups (Abington MA and Abington MA Uncensored) so residents see the information where they already gather.
- Targeted mailings or signs on Town property when appropriate.
3) Consistent Electronic Recording – We will continue broadcasting and archiving meetings – live streaming meetings on YouTube or coordinating Zoom links for residents to watch remotely.
4) Easy Access to Information – Meetings scheduled for the evenings where residents can actually participate. Agendas, packets, minutes, and recordings will be posted earlier and in one obvious place on the Town website, with links shared via social media and email.
5) Leverage A.I. – We will leverage A.I. to provide and publicize meeting summaries and detailed meeting notes/minutes.
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