When Mansfield Selectmen Chairman Sandra Levine recently announced the discontinuation of the comments-and-questions segment of the weekly selectmen's meeting, the reaction was typical.

Angry townspeople talked about recall, outraged over the alleged loss of public participation.

This newspaper editorialized against the decision, calling the comment section "a sweet taste of free speech and an opportunity for direct citizen involvement in town government."

But both the offended citizens and this newspaper are missing a very important point here, one that may not be popular but happens to be true.

Selectmen's meetings are for conducting selectmen's business. Meetings of the town's highest elected board were never meant to be public forums for citizens to air their grievances or opinions. These meetings are open to the public in order to maintain the transparency so crucial to our democracy.

Citizens have a right to attend these meetings, watch them, and even request to be on the agenda and speak.

But there is no constitutional right - or even any moral imperative - that says any citizen should be able to get up at a selectmen's meeting and speak on any issue of their choosing.

People elect their selectmen to be their business representatives and leaders within the framework of the law and regulations of the state and their community. Sometimes that job is mundane and uninteresting, other times it is fascinating and controversial.

But once elected, they must be allowed to do that job.

Selectmen are right to discontinue the public comment portion of their meeting. It never had a proper place in the proceedings. It does not help the selectmen's meeting run better, and does not make Mansfield's government one bit more efficient, more democratic, or more representative.

Purpose of meetings

The idea that any citizen should be able to get up at any selectmen's meeting and talk about any subject they so choose is absurd and ridiculous. It defeats the purpose of holding selectmen's meetings in the first place.

Public hearings or forums are held to solicit public input. Selectmen's meetings are held to grant licenses, set policies, and make decisions on behalf of the town.

Most other communities don't have this problem. They recognize the need to balance public input with the proper conduct of town business. They manage to find a way to listen to their constituents without sacrificing the efficient operation of government. As a registered voter, you are not guaranteed the right to speak at any selectmen's meeting. You may or may not be extended that privilege, but that is exactly what it is - a privilege, not a right. It is sort of like having a driver's license.

Opinions and town's business

Over recent years the Mansfield selectmen's meetings have in effect been hijacked by some who believe they have legitimate grievances with the way their government has been run. While these citizens have a perfect right to their opinion, they have no right whatsoever to make themselves an actual part of the weekly meeting intended to conduct the town's business.

This does not mean the public should be silenced in Mansfield - far from it. There are many ways for citizens to make their points, ask their questions, and express their wishes that do not at the same time force selectmen's meetings to grind to a halt.

They can write letters to the selectmen, to the newspapers, or post on Internet boards. The local cable access outlet will gladly give them time to air their comments.

They can even request time on the agenda of selectmen's meetings to discuss specific important topics relevant to what is going on in town.

But allowing a weekly free-for-all at each meeting has never been a good idea. It is not "a sweet taste of free speech" as the editors here would have you believe. It is an improper forum at an improper time.

If persistent users of the comments-and-questions segment wish to speak weekly at selectmen's meetings, they should get elected to the board. Failing that, they should step back and let their elected officials do their job.

They can then comment on how well that job was done at the ballot box at reelection time.

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist (at least until his editors read this column) and can be read here every Saturday. Bill can be reached at aninsidelook@aol.com.