I understand clearly what the role of Council Clerk is in Bristol. Unfortunately, my opponent does not understand that as the Town Clerk, he must be an advocate for the people he represents.

He claims in his statement published on Sept. 27 that the Council decided it was “not a good idea” to post supporting Council documents on the Town’s website and was asked to “limit online access.” Why wasn’t this a red flag? Why didn’t my opponent use his office to challenge the Council in the pages of this newspaper to make these documents easier to access?

My opponent claims to be a “public servant” but a Town Clerk is not serving the public by being unwilling to challenge limits placed on access to public documents. I am committed to open government and will fight for the public’s right to have 24/7 access online as well as in the Clerk’s office. 

Melissa Cordeiro

Ms. Cordeiro is a Democratic candidate for Bristol Town Clerk.