6.6.2006

What compensation does a person get for serving as chairman of a commission or board in Killingworth? Long hours of hard work, no salary or health benefits, and criticism from many quarters is the answer to that question. However, there is a big plus in all this too, the satisfaction of a job well done for one's community. John McMahon, Chairman of the Board of Finance, has earned that satisfaction many times over.

During the six months that I have been First Selectman, I've had the opportunity to work with all the boards and commissions and to get to know their members. McMahon is one person in particular with whom I've cultivated a friendship and for whom I've developed great respect. The Board of Selectmen, and particularly the First Selectman, seek the expertise of the BOF regularly. Therefore, it is crucial that there be a positive relationship between the Chairman of the BOF and the Selectman's office for the town to function efficiently.

When I've visited the BOF meetings, I have observed how effective John and the other members of the board are. Armed with their facts and figures, they are a formidable group with which to tangle. Chairman McMahon is particularly adept at conducting his board meeting; controlling the agenda, setting reasonable limits on visitors' presentations and responses, insuring that the board can tend to the business at hand with accuracy and minimum delay.

McMahon's strength is his calm, rational approach. But he has an aggressive side too. He and his Board actually had the chutzpah to restore Board of Selectmen cuts to line items in the budget they considered essential.

I find John to be a stabilizing factor in moving town business ahead. While others may at times slow down the process with unnecessary excitement, John accomplishes much with his patient, calm, and humorous approach.

Even after six months, I am relatively new to the job of town government, but I learn fast and McMahon is a good mentor. I welcome John's friendship and regard him as an invaluable colleague. The Town of Killingworth is indeed fortunate to have a citizen as dedicated to the community as John McMahon.

Thank you. Marty Klein