Bradford council to move forward with charter study commission after public questions on taxes

Jimmy Tingling, a resident who identified himself during the public-comment period, urged Bradford’s city council to explain how a potential home-rule or charter change would affect taxpayers and senior residents on fixed incomes, saying he had researched other municipalities and been worried about tax impacts.

“I found, number 1, that it's... over 80 municipalities, 12 counties that have adopted,” Jimmy Tingling said during the public-comment period, and later asked, “Other than raising taxes... how is this gonna help the taxpayer?”

Council members responded that the intent of studying a charter or home-rule change is not to automatically raise property taxes and that the council had voted to move forward with a study commission. A council member said, “We're not trying to push this through. We're trying to have an open mind,” and noted the commission — if formed — would draft language and that any change would go to a ballot vote.

Council discussion at the meeting clarified that forming a study or charter commission is the council’s present step; the commission would draft a proposed charter and present it to voters, who would decide whether to adopt any changes. The council emphasized it cannot adopt a charter change without voter approval and said the commission would be responsible for preparing and explaining proposed changes to the public.

No ordinance establishing a final charter was approved at the meeting; council members said the next formal steps would be the commission’s work and, if it advances a proposal, placement on the ballot for voter consideration.