Dante Ramos raises a real concern about the challenges facing the small Massachusetts communities (“Municipalities, unite,’’ Ideas, Feb. 7). This is a subject that rarely gets attention, so Ramos has my compliments. However, when it comes to answers, his suggestion that a state-level solution raises concerns along the lines of the disaster in Flint, Mich., is not only alarmist but is not grounded in the facts of our experience in Massachusetts. Further, it slights the work of more than one governor and many talented and dedicated professionals, many of whom currently serve at the highest levels of the Baker administration.

There have been two state takeovers of municipalities in the past 25 years: Chelsea and Springfield. Each of these endeavors — and I worked on each — turned the community around financially and operationally, lowering crime and improving educational and health outcomes. Experience has also taught me that a state takeover is not to be taken lightly, and must be done in full cooperation with, and with care for, the community. What happened in Flint has nothing to do with the way the Bay State approaches or resolves such problems.

David B. Panagore

Provincetown