We were outspent by over 10 to 1. There were nearly weekly mailings and more frequent e-mails from Mr. Van Liew. They refused to debate the facts so they controlled their message. In any normal election a 60 - 40 victory would be huge. In light of the tremendous financial advantages the recall proponents had, they should have won if their message had ANY merit to it. Since there was no substance to the recall, they lost. In any head to head election, a 60-40 win is a rout!

great answer Jon !!

Unfortunately, in my opinion this is another victory for the "back room deals' and "dirty business" in this Town. In my opinion this only emboldens those individuals who "beyond any doubt" betrayed this town to garner favor of the "movers and shakers" and yet again got away with it. I am now reconsidering if this is a Town worth living in!

I agree with John Pawl. I've lived here for 46 years and thought i was "Choosing Chelmsford" when I cast my YES vote. Apparently people vote to":Choose Corruption". It may be time to move to a town where officials really care about the people they represent. In my opinion this is a sad day, not a victory.

To Robin and John (Pawl), the results of the election were quite clear and it is now time for everyone to move on. If you are unable, or unwilling to realize that the issue is now behind us and the town did not engage in any backroom deals, feel free to pack up and move out of Chelmsford. You are part of the problem, not the solution!

In a typical election a 60/40 vote is considered a nice victory. I would argue that in this case it is hardly an overwhelming endorsement of the current BOS. The fact that 40% of the voters felt strongly enough to take such a drastic action should give each board member pause. The deal was wrong, I do not need anyone to tell me about how Phil was cleared and the outcome of the recent case. Anyone with any common sense just knows it. However the building is here to stay and the voters have had their day. To say that you may want to move seems extreme, just as those who say go ahead. Let's move on.

to robin and john..dont know if you have almost 50 yrs in this town as i, but you are more than entiitled to your opinions and to cast a vote. this is what makes a democracy and how WE elect our representatives who volunteer for these positions. if the outcome wasnt what you expected (as we did), then you are truly right!..maybe this isnt the town for you? you should reconsider and let us know how that goes...see ya!

I think the real answer will be in the next elections coming up. Many saw this as complete waste of our dollars, to toss these people to the curb then requiring a special election for the replacements, as in November they can be voted out. Who are the next candidates??

August 3rd is a day of rebuilding Chelmsford.

For us elected and appointed officials, we need to be open to the fact that 40% of the public was disillusioned enough with government to vote yes. To those who voted yes, we need your help in staying informed and realizing that officials cannot always follow public opinion particularly if our hands are tied by the bylaws and laws (specifically the Planning Board). See for yourself and watch the meetings on local television - better yet, attend some of the meetings.

I have been involved on Boards for 20 years and have seen the dedication of both the Boards and town employees working to make the town a place we are all proud of. (disclosure I am on the Planning Board). I have never been approached with a bribe or had anyone try to influence my votes- some would say I am harder on those I know in an attempt to avoid any appearance of favoritism. It was disheartening to hear the accusations that I knew were untrue but now realize that it comes from a lack of first hand knowledge about the processes to govern our town. Rather than this being a time of withdrawing from participation, we all need to step up to the plate and increase participation- even if it is by watching a meeting from your own home.
Let's re-build Chelmsford to be stronger than before.

Sue,
Thank you. I think that the people who respond with extreme comments about moving and the ones who say go ahead are counterproductive. The fact is that if you remove the "interested parties" from the vote. Those who were subject to the recall town appointees and friends and family, the vote get closer. There is real dissatisfaction out there and for those who just want to say, the town can't be bought by one man are missing the point. That was not want was going on. Sue made some valid points; we should listen, work together and move on.

Jon. The ruling from Judge Piper was a very narrow one and I wish that you would stop mis-stating it. He did not rule that the current BOS did not act improperly. He granted the motion to dismiss because McClure could not establish that the building harmed him in any way. I did note that he found as a undisputed fact that the BOS had the authority to enforce the restriction. The fact that the then current BOS did not was not in and of itself an act grevious enough to rule in favor of McClure.
I do not need to rely upon a court or various agencies to tell me what I know is wrong even if it was technically legal or at best, not actionable.
However everyone had their day in court and there has been a vote as well. I would suggest Jon that you move on as well. You won.

well put peter...but if someone doesnt like the outcome of yesterdays voting and state that "this isnt the town for me" then they are the problem with the take my football and go home mentality! we voted,they lost (in their opinion) and now want to leave? i'm sorry but i feel that is as childish as you can get! i'm going to canada because i didnt want obama? no, you stay and stick it out and vote as you see fit next time! keep your comments to yourself as to whether this is the town for you or not!...GO. try somerville..that might work for you. to patty..couldn't agree more that that money could have been put in so many useful places in our "corrupt" little town..like our fire stations,schools,elderly...need i go on? other being spent on this!

I did see this recall effort as a total waste of my taxpayer dollars. I see the recall provision as a last-ditch measure to remove a person office after they have committed a crime and been found guilty. I do not believe the recall provision should be invoked based on unproven fact and innuendo. If you disagree with the selectmans’ decision, vote them out.

I do think that the selectmen, while relieved to have escaped the recall, must take note that 40% of the voters were bothered by the 9 North Road issue significantly enough to vote yes on the recall. I hope that they will objectively look at that statistic, and try to listen to the message that those people were trying to send. I believe the four selectmen are good people who want what's best for the town, and part of that is listening to all the people. Leading up to this recall, I, personally read all the materials, all the news articles and interviews I could find on this issue because I wanted to make the most informed decision I could. In all that, I could find NOT A SINGLE SHRED of evidence of wrongdoing, corruption, graft, or egregious behavior on the part of any of these four officials. So, today, I am somewhat shocked as to the high number of people who found something I did not. Still, I urge the selectmen to be open, humble, and willing to listen to those disgruntled voters in the months ahead as we try to heal the rift and get the town on a positive track.

Just to conclude my previous thoughts:

With all that being said, I am glad that the recall is behind us now. Let us pull together and move our town forward on the many issues that have been delayed due to this one. I do not want the pro-recall people to leave town. I want them to stay, volunteer to be on the town boards, participate in the process, do something positive. Thank you again to Choose Chelmsford for the effort to bring both sides of the issues to the public. And finally, congratulations to the selectmen.

Stop! Nothing you write is new - no matter what side. How we act will teach our children how a democracy recovers when sides disagree. We have vote. It's over. Turn your passion into action.

There is a simply solution for anyone who voted yes, put forth some effort and get involved in changing things if you don't like them.

The fact that Van Liew had no interest in who would replace these selectmen indicates that we have one whiner with money leading a chorus of other whiners.

Well said.

The people have had their say, why is Mr. Kurland still rehashing his old stuff? I would ask Mr Kurl and to get over it and start doing what you were elected to do and please note that 12,000 plus citizens did vote yes. You have to work hard to prove to those citizens that you are not corrup. Get busy

Check out the committee vacancies on the town of Chelmsford website! For those who want to work to improve our town together - please help out - there are plenty of opportunities! If you cannot give the full time committee member committment, contact one of the committees that you are willing to help in some way. No better way to spend the energy now to help us all work together.

http://www.townofchelmsford.us/Boards-Committees.cfm

I agree that this is over, and we all need to move on....but 40% of voters believed that something was wrong. Perception is truth for many. While it may have been a waste of time, money, and plastic signs....this should be understood as a wake-up call - for both "sides".

To those of you upset because some are saying "we lost, so I'm taking my ball and leaving"...that's how MOST people feel when things don't go their way. They aren't REALLY going to leave...but they still have a right to their thoughts AND to voice them without being criticized for it. Just as my husband and I didn't leave EVERY time the vote for a new library was turned down....OR the vote to build a new high school (talk about a town missing the boat in THAT instance..we ended up spending for an ADDITION what a whole new SCHOOL could have cost us)...nor when the fire station was voted down..twice. So you see Darrell....the money this town had to spend on this recall, would NOT have gone to those things you mentioned..because the majority keeps voting THOSE betterments down ! ! Next time a vote comes up for schools..go to the polls..watch ALL the "poor elderly" in this town arrive. You see, THEY don't need the school systems anymore....Many arrive in their new Lexus', Audi's or Cadillacs. And many using walkers and carrying oxygen tanks. All there to vote NO. It's what this town does best.

good point donna..i will agree with you on where the monies can be spent. and i see friends in this community who spend their own money and volunteer their companies efforts do do some good for the town(as i have) because its where we live and our children grow! what bothers me is that a questionable recall vote was forced and we in the community gathered ourselves together to form our opinions and go to our precincts to exercise our rights. after the outcome it should be business as usual and move on. you have already seen examples of opposing sides coming together again and rallying as a town which is a great example of us at our finest. BUT to post a comment after the decision had been finalized, "that it may be time to move on to a town where the officials really care!" (RG) that was the mentality i was so not hopeing for in my community. so if it sparks a response that says "go" or take your football and go home..it was because that supposed to be day 1 of move forward not the continuation of choose chelmsford..round 2!i do you truly believe these unpaid selectman that we have elected dont care about you or this community? then why would you state it? i truly never believed that i would be discussing this a week later so i hope that we have agreed to disagree as this whole country must do on a daily basis as we do in our own little town.thank you for your opinion..sincerely! and lets see what we can do every day for our community where our children have to grow.

Jean, I agree, I am also a poor elderly with grandchildren in the schools. I have voted yes on all the big issues, library, firestation, schools etc. I drive an older minivan, don't use a walker. Or use an oxygen tank (Thank you God!). I think Donna has a very dim view of the elderly, it's lucky she will never grow old!