ONE Massachusetts at UMASS Dartmouth

ONE Massachusetts came to UMass Dartmouth at the invitation of Former Mayor Ed Lambert now Director of UMass Dartmouth Urban Intiative and Craig Dutra from the South Coast Community Foundation. Click on the "Read more" button to read the money quote from Elenor Gagnon.

“Somewhere along the line,” Lambert said, “we lost faith in the government. People are disconnected from local issues.”

Local officials, business leaders and agency heads were given suggestions to improve the public perception of government — like talking about goals instead of funding or taxes, connecting services and programs to how they can create a better quality of life and making sure taxpayers understand where their money goes.

It is important that citizens understand what is going on in their local government, he added. Many town issues, like Proposition 2 1/2 overrides, “require all of us to be more intelligent and knowledgeable,” Lambert said.

Eleanor Gagnon, a Somerset selectwoman, said after the conference that what she learned affirmed her efforts to make sure she is open with residents on her decisions and the way the town government works.
“Any time you can learn to better communicate, it’s an asset,” Gagnon said. “The government needs to be more truthful. I believe in asking questions so we can all make better decisions.”