Selects Launch Charter Review
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On Wednesday evening, the Board of Selectmen created a commission to review the Town Charter and recommend revisions that would ultimately be submitted to voters for approval.
The board voted unanimously to create a five-member commission, give it a six-month deadline to submit a report, and assign specific matters that must be examined before considering any other possible revisions.
State law specifies rules towns must follow when contemplating charter revision and timeframes that must be adhered to. With their vote, the selectmen started the clock ticking.
Volunteers wanted
The selectmen have 30 days to appoint the Charter Revision Commission’s five members. Only one can be an elected official, and the commission cannot have more than a bare majority from any one political party. One of the selectmen will be a non-voting ex officio member.
Those interested in possibly serving can contact Darcy Barrera-Hawes, the first selectwoman’s executive assistant, by email. Over the next four weeks, the selectmen will interview candidates in executive session, most likely in virtual meetings given the tight timeframe.
The task
By April 24, 2026, the Charter Revision Commission must submit a report to the selectmen that considers at least these topics:
- Enhancements to existing provisions regarding the Town’s financial transparency, budgeting, expenditures, and accounting.
- An evaluation of the “effectiveness, timeliness, and public engagement of the budget process” with recommended improvements.
- Recommendations, if any, on whether the Charter should more closely align with State law regarding how many members of one political party can serve on a Town board, commission, or committee. (Current Charter provisions are more restrictive than what the statutes allow.)
- An evaluation of the size of Town boards and length of member terms, comparing them to neighboring towns and considering population, quorum requirements, and efficiency.
- Recommendations for bringing the Charter up to date on positions that are now appointed instead of elected, align it with State law on appointed employees who are represented by collective bargaining agreements, and address “inconsistent terminology,” inaccuracies, and “unnecessary and redundant language.”
- A consideration of whether to add a provision requiring a review of the Charter every ten years.
The process
By law, Charter revisions must be approved in an election with ballots cast by at least 15 percent of qualified voters. The timeline adopted by the selectmen aims to have a vote in the November 2026 general election, when state offices are on the ballot.
Also by law, Charter Revision Commission meetings must be held in public, and before beginning “substantive work” the commission must hold a public hearing. At least one more hearing must be held before the commission submits its draft report.
By April 24, 2026 the commission must submit its draft to the Board of Selectmen, who must hold a public hearing and have 45 days to act.
Upon receiving the draft, the selectmen have the right to ask the commission to make changes to its report. If that happens, the commission has 30 days to confer with the selectmen about amendments, but no obligation to make them. Eventually, the selectmen will have to vote on whether to accept the final report or reject it. If accepted, voters have the last word.