Candidates shushed by town library
Two campaigning for local office in Blackstone say the library unfairly cancelled their candidate forum
BLACKSTONE – As the town prepares for its annual election on Monday, one candidate for selectman is crying foul over not being allowed to hold a candidate meet-andgreet session at the Blackstone Public Library.
Stephen P. Goudreau says he and another candidate for selectman, Catherine M. Norcross-Melson, were given permission by the library to reserve two private study rooms for meet-and-greet sessions with town residents two weeks before the election, but that the library trustees later revoked that decision based on a legal ruling by Town Counsel Patrick J. Costello.
“We initially made plans to reserve the rooms and were given approval to have these meet-and-greet sessions, but were then told after the fact that they are not authorized,” said Goudreau, who voiced his concerns to the selectmen on Tuesday. “What we were proposing was a simple meetand-greet behind closed doors without any campaign material.”
Goudreau said while he and Norcross-Melson were not allowed to meet with residents at the library, four other candidates were allowed to hand out campaign literature at the town’s hazardous waste recycling day held last Saturday at the recycling center on Chestnut Street.
“I don’t recall getting any invitation or being asked to attend that event,” a vexed Goudreau told the board. “Something doesn’t feel right here and this election is starting to feel partisan of all of a sudden.”
Town Administrator Daniel M. Keyes said he requested a ruling from Costello after it was brought to his attention that Goudreau and Norcross-Melson — two of six candidates vying for two three-year seats on the Board of Selectmen — had requested use of the library for what he said was billed as a candidates’ night.
Costello says the library could have allowed the event provided that it was “content neutral” and that equal opportunity to use the library for such purposes was made available to any individual seeking public office.
“The Library Trustees may permit political campaign events to take place at the library, so long as their practices, policies and regulations regarding such events are based on content neutral criteria and do not discriminate against individuals or entities espousing different political viewpoints or positions,” Costello said in his ruling.
Citing Costello’s legal opinion, Keyes said Goudreau and NorcrossMelson’s campaign event would have been a violation of state and federal laws, which states that candidate forums, debates — even meet-and greets — held in a town building must be staged in a way that does not promote or advance one candidate over another.
“As a town venue, there has to be fair and equitable treatment for all candidates because it was listed as a ‘candidates’ night,’ and not all of the candidates were notified,” Keyes told Goudreau.
The four other candidates for selectman are Margaret Bik, John J. Parmentier, Gerald P. Rivet and John Matthew Wozniak.
“All six candidates for selectmen should have been notified. In fact, because it was billed as a ‘candidate’s night,’ all of the candidates on the ballot should have been notified,” Keyes said. “There is no problem with having a candidate’s night, but it has to be fair and equitable to everyone who is running.”
“You can have a candidate’s forum in the Municipal Center, library or any town building as long as all of the candidates are invited,” added Selectmen Chairman Robert J. Dubois. “You just can’t have some people do it and not others.”
As for the candidates who handed out campaign literature at the recycling center last weekend, that was perfectly legal and has been done many times in the past, Keyes said.
“That is a public venue; that was not a politically- organized event. It just happens that it was a public event on public property,” he explained. “That is some- thing that is welcoming to everybody. If a candidate wants to go up there and greet people in that capacity they can’t be held back. We don’t have any jurisdiction to kick anybody off public property when it’s not an organized political event.”
Dubois did note, however that state law prohibits campaigning within 150 feet of a polling station on Election Day.
The upcoming election on Monday will also feature races for Board of Health and Town Moderator. Incumbent Board of Health member William Walsh is facing a challenge from Carol J. Perrault, and Mark N. Poirier and Daniel T. Doyle are squaring off for town moderator.