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Charter Commission |
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The Commission reminds the public that all of our meetings are now televised and there is opportunity for public comment at the beginning and at the end of each meeting. The official e mail address for the Saugus Charter Commission is
Saugus Charter Commission Now in Research Phase Having completed the problem identification step of its work, the Saugus Charter Commission is now researching other communities, other charters, and emerging best practices in the area of local government. This phase will continue through July. At its May 22nd meeting individual members of the commission presented research findings that were applicable to the problems and needs identified in the commission’s “Problems and Needs Narrative” that was presented in April. Additionally the commission heard from Phil Gallagher who is the town moderator for Burlington, MA and Saugus resident and former selectman Florence Chandler who served for ten years as town manger of Southbridge. Burlington has a 108 member representative town meeting. Each member is elected for a staggered three-year term. The voters of Burlington elect Mr. Gallagher for a one-year term as town moderator. He appoints a fifteen-member finance committee. The Burlington Town Meeting is a continuous town meeting and can be called into session by the moderator or individual members. Mr. Gallagher also spoke of the role of the Burlington Town Administrator and why Burlington has not opted for a town manager form of government. He stated that he was concerned about Burlington having a town manager that could be both poor and weak, and would be fearful of having a town manager that was poor yet strong. He did not feel consolidation of authority was a model that would serve Burlington well. Ms. Chandler spoke of the council-manager form of government in Southbridge. She described her experience working with a small legislative body that met every two weeks. Ms. Chandler indicated that she felt the council did a good job but that she preferred town meeting because the decision-making is more broadly based. Unlike Burlington, she felt that a strong town manager was desirable for a community as long as the person selected is passionate and devoted to the community. On Wednesday, May 28th at 4:30 P.M. in the first floor Community Meeting Room in the Saugus Public Library the charter commission will host the Mayor of Amesbury, Mr. Thatcher Kezer. With a population of just under 20,000, Amesbury is the smallest city in Massachusetts. On Thursday, May 29th at 7:30 P.M. in the Saugus Town Hall the commission will hear from two former Barnstable town councilors, Mr. Richard Clark and Mr. Lucien Poyant Jr. Barnstable did away with its board of selectmen and town meeting in 1989 in favor of the council manager form of government. Both men now serve on the Barnstable Charter Commission that is again studying the possibility of change for that community. They are serving coterminous to the Saugus Charter Commission. At 8:30 P.M. the President of the Winthrop Town Council, Mr. Thomas Riley will again meet with the commission to discuss aspects of Winthrop’s new council-manager form of government. Last November Mr. Riley sat with the commission to discuss his experience as a Winthrop Charter Commissioner. On Thursday June 5th at 7:30 P.M. the commission will interview David G. Cressman who is the Tewksbury Town Manager in the Saugus Town Hall. Tewksbury has nearly 29,000 people and has an open town meeting. Tewksbury is the second largest community in Massachusetts with an open town meeting format in which any resident can vote on any matter of budget, by law or zoning. At 8:30 P.M. Mr. Jay Ash, the Chelsea City Manager will be present to discuss the current operation of Chelsea’s government that was created after its financial free fall in the early 1990s. On Thursday June 12th at 4:30 P.M. Mr. Lisle Baker, the President of the Newton Board of Alderman will meet with the commission. The location of this meeting will be announced. Newton is a city with an elected mayor and has the largest council in Massachusetts with 24 members. It also has a unique system of apportionment in which each of eight precincts has its own alderman. The other sixteen are elected citywide but each precinct must have two “at large” aldermen residing in that precinct, thus insuring that each of eight precincts has three residents each on the board of aldermen. Closing out the month of June will be a visit on June 26th at 6 P.M. from Jean de Smet who is the first selectman of Windham Connecticut. Windham has about 23,000 and is in the midst of changing its government to include both a town manager and a mayor. The location of this meeting will be announced. According to Saugus Charter Commission Chairman Peter Manoogian, “we are focused on examining all forms of local government so as to determine those features in each that make the most sense for Saugus and will address those problems we have identified. He further explains, “as a group, the commission is unanimous in its desire to acquire a depth and breadth of understanding of other forms of government that will allow the commission to begin to formulate proposals for Saugus in August and select the best proposal by September of 2008. While this research effort may appear to be excessive, we believe Saugus can only benefit from a thorough and comprehensive research process.” Saugus Charter Commission Officers
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