Tensions between Norwood municipal officials reached a public boiling point on July 11, 1974, when Finance Commissioner Allan D. Howard issued a blistering open letter to the press regarding Selectman William F. Butters.
The public dispute centered on the Finance Commission’s (FinCom) ongoing investigation into the board of health’s award of a three-year, $228,000 garbage collection contract to the South Shore Disposal Co. of Abington. Butters had previously criticized the FinCom’s investigation as an attempt “to whitewash the whole thing,” a charge that Howard, currently a candidate for the 17th Norfolk Representative District seat, vehemently rejected.
In his letter, Howard took aim at Butters’ participation in the process, noting that the selectman had attended only two of the twelve hours of hearings dedicated to the garbage contract investigation. Howard expressed astonishment that Butters would challenge the FinCom’s authority to hold the hearings, particularly after Town Counsel Justin C. Barton and the commission’s special counsel, Douglas Randall, had affirmed the proceedings were both proper and legal. The public airing of grievances extended beyond the garbage contract, as Howard questioned Butters’ record on several other municipal issues, including his challenge to the legality of a recall petition against FinCom member George Elias and his criticism of the FinCom regarding a $16,000 sewer budget cut.
Howard’s letter characterized Butters’ recent public statements as “poor politics” and suggested that the selectman should rely on paid advertisements to voice his views, as other political candidates were required to do. The atmosphere surrounding the municipal boards was one of sharp conflict, highlighting the intense political rivalries that were influencing town management in the summer of 1974. The exchange served to underscore the growing friction between the various boards and commissions as they grappled with budgetary oversight, contract awards, and the conduct of public officials in Norwood.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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