Following is a link to a letter to the editor that was published today in the Milton Herald.  

Milton Citizens Must Remain Vigilant

It has become clear that positive change in Milton will only come through replacing some members of City Council.  In particular, Council Members Matt Kunz and Bill Lusk are at the center of the dysfunction in Milton city government.

Council member Kunz has taken thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the development community in Milton.  Council member Bill Lusk, whose construction company has benefited from Milton’s construction boom, also contributed $1000 to Kunz’s campaign.  It was the best $1000 he ever spent, as Kunz has become his second vote on Council.

There is not a dime’s worth of difference between Lusk and Kunz.  Both are strong and unapologetic advocates for developers in Milton, as their voting records clearly demonstrate.  For example, Lusk made the motion to approve the rezoning that allowed the abominable town home development across from Cambridge High School.  Kunz seconded the motion, (wrongly) asserting that 50% of land would be conserved as greenspace.  Both Lusk and Kunz also actively promoted a developer’s rezoning and subdivision on Ebenezer Road, in violation of Milton’s rules against Council members taking even an indirect interest in a matter before Council.  In doing so, Lusk and Kunz supported cluster housing (homes on 1/4 acre lots) in unsewered areas of Milton.

Recently, Kunz and Lusk (and Council Member Rick Mohrig) reversed their opposition to (and their votes against) a subdivision platting when a developer and major campaign contributor weighed in on the platting.  Lusk was responsible for the developer-applicant getting a second hearing, where Council ‘s earlier denial of the platting was reversed.  It was another obvious example of Lusk and Kunz bowing to the will of their political patrons and special interests.

Both Lusk and Kunz were also caught using private e-mail for City business, which is prohibited and a violation of open government laws.  Both have also circumvented the City Manager and city processes in their effort to pass an ordinance to allow cluster housing in rural parts of Milton.  This was revealed in e-mails obtained through an open records request.

Following is the text of the Letter to the Editor.

Milton citizens must remain vigilant

The City of Milton will soon be celebrating its 10th birthday. I voted for the creation of the city and have seen some positive changes over the years. However, all is not well in Milton. Over the past year, as a private citizen, I have attended nearly every City Council meeting and dozens of other city government meetings. And I have been dismayed by what I have witnessed. The city has not had a competitive election since 2011 and it shows. Lack of electoral accountability has led to complacency and arrogance in some elected officials. It has led to the increasing influence of special interests.

Who are these special interests? They are land investors and developers. Many of them live outside of our community; they care nothing about Milton. They have time, money, knowledge and highly paid attorneys. They know all the tricks, loopholes and angles. They are generous with their campaign contributions. And unfortunately, they have their agents within the city government.

To advocate for citizens, a small group of Miltonites formed the Milton Coalition in November 2015. We had no money, no organization and no name recognition. We only have a strong love for our community and a strong desire for good governance. We exercised our voice through petitions, blogs, flyers and speaking before the City Council. And the fine citizens of Milton are heeding our call. Our last petition advocating for smart land use and good governance garnered nearly 1800 signatures. One City Council meeting was so packed with supporters that a holding room had to be established. Over the past year, citizens have won a number of victories. However, securing and building upon these successes will require changes at the ballot box. Competitive elections are needed to fix what ails Milton. Some City Council members will try to distract citizens by highlighting their volunteerism and patriotism. Don’t be fooled. These politicians have long voting records that clearly reveal their allegiances.

Citizens, to mark the 10th anniversary of Milton’s founding, please consider attending a City Council meeting. Witness firsthand your government in action. I am convinced you will get it. As someone who has attended several dozen of these meetings, I know that you will grasp the need for new leadership. The most effective tool in our campaign for clean, competent, courageous, and citizen-centric government is citizen participation. See you at a future City Council meeting.