Date: Fri 16-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

charter-council

Full Text:

Council Decision Due On Charter Revision

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

The Legislative Council is slated to make a final decision on the Charter

Revision Commission's proposed revisions to the charter at its regular meeting

Wednesday night.

Once the council has voted, the proposed changes will go before voters at a

referendum in June.

The council disagrees with the charter panel on several issues, but the panel

can petition to overrule the council's decision.

The charter panel ignored the council's suggestions to reconsider its decision

to allow for the removal of the town's financial director without cause,

though it did add a provision that would allow the financial director to state

his or her case at a hearing before any action was taken.

It also ignored the council's request to rethink its decision to change the

charter to allow for three at-large seats on the council. Council members felt

the town's practice of electing its council seats by district should be

retained.

The council had also asked the charter panel to consider splitting the budget

vote into two parts, but that request was also denied.

Now, it's the council's turn.

Though petitioning to have a question added to the ballot is difficult, it has

been done. The last Charter Revision Commission proposed that the Legislative

Council be reduced from 18 to 12 members. The council didn't agree, but the

charter panel petitioned for the question to be put on the ballot. It was, and

the voters approved the change.