In four short months, the divisive actions of Councilmembers Toth, Kalivianakis, Skillicorn and Friedel are resulting in unacceptably personal discussions between councilmembers and Town staff, as well.

Didn’t see it coming? I beg to differ. An incredibly divisive and nasty election cycle ushered in the three new councilmembers, supported by two political action committees that doctored pictures and spread lies concerning certain candidates’ positions and beliefs. That “campaign” moved to the Council Chamber dais.

Excruciatingly long-winded speeches about certain agenda actions, social media posts that seem like campaign videos (perhaps because they are), and websites specializing in “alternate” defamatory posts amplify the discord that we see at almost every Town Council meeting. Motions passed against the advice of the Town attorney add to the chaos. Tediously repetitive speeches, often advocating baseless concerns and accusations, are followed by those same people speaking on specific agenda items. It seems staged, planned, orchestrated...like a badly-written melodrama, or is it performative theater from an extremely destructive playbook? Could be, since coined phrases like “administration mission creep” occur frequently.

Councilmember Skillicorn didn’t volunteer for Council subcommittees, yet he and other councilmembers now attend School Board meetings. Why is that?

Our Town Manager “retired” after nine years of Town service, just months after the new councilmembers were sworn in. It is inexplicable unless it “delivers” an outrageous campaign promise.

Town staff will not remain if they are constantly fielding unwarranted accusatory questions. Is that the point? It becomes increasingly apparent that some of these councilpersons do not have the level of expertise to tell staff they are wrong or infer clandestine motives.

Public concern about this dysfunctional governance is reflected in The Times’ letters. The newspaper, itself, wrote an editorial proposing local government civility.

So, what is their purpose? It’s ugly, it’s alarming and I’m angry.