2025 Proposed Charter Amendments

Charter Amendment 1 (Full Text)

Purpose: Clarify the timeline for the Town Council’s organizational meeting.

Update: The proposed amendment specifies that the organizational meeting must occur within ten (10) calendar days following the certification of the annual town election results. It also outlines the timing for Councilors to take their oaths of office, adopt rules, and conduct any required business.

Charter Amendment 2 (Full Text)

Purpose: Clarify residency qualifications for Town Council candidates and introduce a declaration of candidacy requirement.

Update: The amendment removes the one-year residency requirement and includes a provision requiring candidates to file a “declaration of candidacy” consistent with state law.

Charter Amendment 3 (Full Text)

Purpose: Align penalties for violations of the Charter with state law.

Update: The amendment removes language establishing willful Charter violations as misdemeanors, as the Town lacks statutory authority to enforce such penalties. Violations will now be punishable by fines in accordance with state statutes.

Charter Amendment 4 (Full Text)

Purpose: Remove the requirement for campaign finance reporting in municipal elections.

Update: The amendment deletes Section 2.10 of the Charter, which mandated the adoption of a campaign finance reporting ordinance.

Charter Amendment 5 (Full Text)

Purpose: Revise and enhance the Code of Ethics for Elected and Appointed Officials (EAOs)

Update: The proposed changes modernize Article 6, including refined definitions, mandatory annual ethics training for EAOs, and clarified roles and processes for the Ethics Committee. These updates aim to improve governance transparency and accountability.