On May 9th, 2007, many Smithfield department heads signed an open letter to the residents of Smithfield. In this unprecedented letter, these public servants, most of whom had been employed by our town for many years under both Democrat and Republican administrations, warned that the Town Council, under control of Democrats, was going to fire our Town manager because he would not bend to their pressure to fire people and replace them with cronyes.

Here is the letter:

To the Citizens of the Town of Smithfield,

It has come to our attention that it is the intent of certain majority members of the Town Council to remove Stanley Usovicz as Town Manager. This action is reportedly due to the fact that Mr. Usovicz has justly declined their request to fire (without cause and due process) certain Department Directors. We are certain that other reasons will be given but the real reason is clear. The rumored scenario would be that following the May 10th Financial Town Meeting, Mr. Usovicz will be removed from his position as Town Manager. An acting Town Manager who will execute the wishes of the Council will be appointed in the interim and several Directors will be removed and predetermined replacements will be put in place.

In the interest of being completely “transparent and accountable,” we would like to make the fine people of this community aware of what has been occurring over the last several months. Smithfield has been extremely fortunate to have an effective and very stable municipal staff over recent years. Financially, the Town has remained in excellent fiscal condition even as surrounding communities and the State have experienced difficult times. The development review process has been greatly improved in recent years and better projects for the benefit of all citizens are the result. All of this has been challenged in recent months. Town Directors have been publicly scolded by certain Council members and their integrity has been questioned. Many of you had the opportunity to attend the Budget Hearing on April 10th. At this meeting, one Department Manager was publicly berated to the point where one resident demanded that the Council member stop the unprofessional and disrespectful treatment of this employee in a public forum. Many similar events have taken place over the past several months. This is a clear attempt to discredit the dedicated service of the Directors and their staff and has been done under the false guise of “accountability.” There is an old saying: “Praise in public, scold in private.” It is about respect, honesty and common decency. That’s something everyone deserves. Make no mistake, there is not one among us who is perfect. We do our jobs to the best of our abilities and with the resources we have. We make mistakes and are held accountable for those mistakes.

Over the years the Town Council has changed party leadership many times. Sometimes change is good. Each new Council brings with it new ideas and new vision. However, this latest change is different. Never before has the integrity of the employees of this town been so challenged. Never before have individual Directors been so publicly disrespected by elected officials.

As public servants, we make the bold move of signing our names to this letter because we believe that a great injustice is being perpetrated, not only upon the employees of this town, but upon you the citizens of this community. Many of the undersigned have been working for the Town for decades and have acquired great knowledge and experience that cannot easily be replaced.

It is our collective opinion that Mr. Usovicz is the most competent and effective manager that this Town has ever had. He is tough but uncompromisingly fair. His dedication to the job, his loyalty to the staff, and professional execution of his charge are unquestionable and to remove him in the name of politics would be a great disservice to the residents of this Town. The resultant departure of Department Directors that will follow Mr. Usovicz (either by choice or force) will be devastating to the workings and stability of Town government.

We have an excellent leader in Mr. Usovicz, who demands nothing but the best from his staff for the citizens of this great community. We stand by the Town Manager and the Town with complete and unwavering commitment. Although the charter clearly states that the council has full discretion regarding the Town Manager, we challenge the Council that, if they believe a change of Town Manager is required (which we clearly believe is a mistake), that they make this decision only with the same type of open and transparent process that was used to select Mr. Usovicz for the position. We suggest that the Council reconvene the non-partisan committee that recommended Mr. Usovicz for the position of Town Manager and let that committee review the facts. If the committee recommends his removal, then it will at least have been through a “transparent and accountable” process that respects individuals and doesn’t play politics with the Town’s future. We urge you to contact your Town Council members and ask that they not take this action.

In Humble Service:

Frederick J. Presley, director of Planning and Economic Development;

Richard Geldard, director of engineering;

Al DeCorte, director of building and zoning;

Bill Pilkington, IT Manager;

Police Chief William McGarry;

Fire Chief Joseph Mollo III;

Susan Pilkington, human resources director;

Thomas J Tullie, Recreation Department manager