Barnstable County charter review committee opens review; administrator, Cape Cod Commission and counsel offer preliminary recommendations

The Barnstable County Charter Review Committee opened its first formal stakeholder session May 28, 2025, at the Mary Pat Flynn Conference Center and agreed to invite town officials, municipal managers and other regional stakeholders as it begins a multi-month review of the county charter.

The committee’s work follows preliminary, section-by-section observations from Mike Dutton, Barnstable County administrator; an overview of the Cape Cod Commission’s authorities from Christy Sanatore, executive director of the Cape Cod Commission; and a proposed process for sorting topics from Lauren Goldberg, county counsel. The committee set a next meeting for June 25 and directed staff to begin outreach to select boards, town councils and town managers.

Why it matters: the charter establishes how the county’s legislative and executive branches function and how the Cape Cod Commission’s statutory authorities intersect with county law. Committee members described the review as an opportunity to update outdated references, clarify the allocation of powers and address procedural items — such as posting rules, quorum definitions and budget timing — that administrators said have caused confusion during recent business cycles.

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