Dan Driscoll

Dedham Town Meeting Moderator 

On April 11th, the voters of Dedham will elect a new Town Meeting Moderator. I have had the privilege of holding this office for 33 years. I am very grateful for this opportunity to participate in the governance of our Town for so many years.

The Moderator’s position is not a headline grabbing position and is definitely not for people with an interest in a political career in town. The job is to assist in educating Town Meeting members and ensuring that the Meetings are run fairly and impartially, with a chance for both sides of the issue to be heard. After committing so much time to this position, (81 Town Meetings over my term), I have a good sense of what the Moderator should do … and not do.  

There are two strong candidates on the ballot. I believe that Liz O’Donnell is the best fit for this particular office. 

First, she has the experience and the temperament to be an excellent Moderator. She has participated in Town Meeting for 20 years, 10 as a Town Meeting member and, recently, 10 years on the Finance and Warrant Committee. 

Second, among all of the elected officials in town, there are two that are expected to be impartial: the Town Clerk, who is the chief election official, and the Moderator, who presides over Town Meeting and makes procedural rulings. While other officials are expected to have a platform, the Moderator’s most important task is to be impartial and fair, not quietly pushing their own agenda. It is for this reason that the Moderator does not even have a vote.

When making up your mind, I ask to you consider that, in addition to my support, Liz is supported by the Deputy Moderator, 5 of the Town Meeting district chairs and 8 members of the Finance and Warrant Committee. Fifteen of the 18 town residents most involved in and invested in Town Meeting feel that Liz is the best choice to be Dedham’s next Moderator.

Dan Driscoll

Town Meeting Moderator