In Plymouth, the town election is about a month away and there will be a question on the ballot asking voters to approve a new charter. Charter Commissioners met on the 19th to discuss the wording of the question that will appear on the ballot. Under state statute, Commissioners write their own summary of the ballot question. So what will the ballot question look like?
Bobbi Clark has more…
Charter Commission Vice Chair Laurence Pizer explains what voters will see on the ballot:
“There is the question shall Plymouth approve the new charter recommended by the Charter Commission as summarized below. The first one is not a change. It maintains representative Town Meeting and I think that’s the most important. It emphasizes that there should be a comprehensive master plan and that that should be updated.
And Pizer says there will be a change to the Select Board:
“Instead of having 5 members at large—would have 4 members at large and 3 members elected by district. There would be an Appointments Advisory Committee to assist the Town Manager and the Select Board—whoever is making the appointments. There would be a Legislative Oversight Committee, so that any matters that the Town Meeting passed we’d find out if the Town actually went through with them. And there would be more work for the Committee of Precinct Chairs, and finally an optional third Town Meeting.”
Bill Abbott, who chairs the Charter Commission, says that what is stated on the ballot…
“…is an outline of the changes in the Charter; it doesn’t advocate—the summary has to be neutral in the sense that it can’t be like a campaign document—has to be a straight summary of the facts.”
The town election is May 20th.
