A bit of background may help. The Chestertown charter is an old and sometimes cumbersome instrument. Under this charter, the Mayor and Council may not just repeal a resolution. Rather, they must reconsider and vote again on the legislation in question. At the Monday meeting, we had a lengthy side discussion with the Town Clerk, to make sure the Council, and the public, understood the procedure correctly. Following discussion, a majority voted against 06-2023. This returned the rules regarding eligibility for town office to Section 3(c), as Mr. Miller had advocated.

My fellow Council members and I have not betrayed our oaths. Nor have we engaged in misconduct or conspiracy. All of our Council meetings, as well as the Town’s commission and committee meetings, are open to the public and available as on-demand videos. My colleagues and I look forward to working with all the citizens of Chestertown, including Mr. Miller.

David Foster
Mayor of Chestertown

Should the entire Mayor and Council heed this mean-spirited admonition to resign in the middle of their terms, the entire town would be deprived of representation, and the business of town residents would be disrupted and neglected over a straw man donnybrook. We all have a right to disagree with our local government’s decisions, voice our complaints, and elect new candidates on a regular basis–or indeed run to replace them. We do not all have a right to bring the work they do on our behalf to a standstill whenever we disagree.