Salem Selectman Stephen Campbell was the sole opponent to a massive $23 million dollar safety complex boondoggle on the select-board and he let people know his concerns. For months he shared information about the complex, asked questions, questioned assumptions, advanced cheaper alternatives, shared answers, directed people to the content of public meetings and testimony, and shared his own thoughts, not just in meetings but on Facebook.
The four other board members were for the complex as was the town manager. Several of them privately funded an informational flier for the public. And I’m sure the police, fire, and town employee unions were all on board for the big new safety complex as well. But in the end, the complex went down in flames. Whether a result of Board member Campbell’s persistence or not, the public didn’t want to spend that much money.
So what is one of the first priorities for the Salem board of Selectman after town elections?
