Midterm review panel urges clearer roles, more meetings and new ethics rules for Watertown council-manager system

Kyle Lallam, chair of the Home Rule Charter Midterm Review Commission, presented the commission’s findings to the City of Watertown City Council on April 7, 2025, after a review of staff surveys, interviews and outside interviews with municipal leaders.

The commission recommended stronger role clarity and communications among the three points of local governance — the council, the city manager and department heads — and urged formal steps including a council code of ethics, a “what to expect if elected” packet for candidates, an annual council orientation, quarterly budget reviews and a “serious concerns” reporting hotline to improve accountability.

The panel’s report summarized surveys with a 95% response rate from department heads and managers and roughly a 30% response rate from rank-and-file staff; the packet attached to the council agenda included redacted results. Lallam said staff satisfaction with current positions was high in the survey (86.7% reporting satisfied or extremely satisfied) and that 50% of respondents answered “yes, absolutely” when asked whether the…