Actions of Fairhaven Town Administrator Show Disdain for Residents
Town Administrator, Angie Lopes Ellison, is a bully. She’s even shaking you down for money. In 2022, the Board created a monster when they unanimously elected Ellison to spite their former colleague, who was ousted after attempting to install someone competent.
As Town Manager of Uxbridge, Ellison was released from her three-year contract after a year. The town of Blanford eliminated the position of Town Administrator altogether to get of rid her. North Adams has been struggling for so long, she was just another termite in a rotting log there. Fairhaven awarded her with a $163,000 salary in 2022, with a whopping raise [to] $174,000 in 2023. All that for a town with a population of roughly 16,000 since 1980. Household incomes average $78,000 and $50,000 per capita.
The town is broke. When a $450,000 shortfall was announced, Ellison and the Board proposed a new tax. Voters rejected it. Rather than make cuts, they taxed you in the form of a trash fee. This action is aimed at appeasing public officials and disrespecting voters. Only two of the five member Board of Public Works had the backbone to vote against it.
A citation-like notice of this sanctioned theft was sent out. Residents must pay $100 for each trash can every year. Printed at the bottom: “ALSO: The Town does not offer the Bulky Waste Collection as of July 1st.” Residents must use E.L. Harvey, a private company with a monopoly in town, to collect bulky waste for a fee sure to increase, effectively privatizing a public service.
Remember when Ellison planned to rip fixtures out of Town Hall offices? Fortunately, she was thwarted by her brave assistant, who Ellison terminated in retaliation. Stress prompted the former employee to have a medical emergency at work. Ellison bullied the woman in front of her husband with the paramedics on site, refusing to leave. This HIPPA violation is the subject of litigation.
She’s meddling with the police. The officer ranking first in line for promotion to Chief doesn’t answer corporate interview questions to her liking. Ellison and the Board prefer an officer down the list capable of a feel-good response to their word salad. Ellison is currently attempting to bypass the entire Civil Service system in order to get her way. She cites a lack of funds for police and fire promotions as an excuse to nickel and dime you. The town paid out over $5,000,000 police in salaries and $3,000,000 to fire last year. Six figure salaries make up the majority.
I hear the town of Bloomfield, Connecticut unwittingly expressed interest in Ellison. I hope she gets the job. I’m sure she’ll make a big impact. In Fairhaven, her legacy will be garbage. Some will resort to illegal dumping to avoid fees. When we look upon the used mattresses, broken TVs, and rotten furniture tossed onto our roadsides, beaches and forests—we will remember Angie Ellison.
Ryan Fabian, Fairhaven
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