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Committee debates adding 'Department of Law' to Methuen charter; no vote taken
Summary
Committee members debated whether to place detailed Department of Law language in the charter or leave duties to ordinance/municipal code, with concerns about mayoral authority and past outside‑counsel bills; motion to amend Section 2‑8(c) was made and seconded but not voted.
A lengthy exchange at the Sept. 18 Methuen City Charter Review Committee meeting centered on whether the charter should explicitly establish a Department of Law and specify the city solicitor's role, or whether such operational details belong in ordinance or municipal code.
Jennifer Canan presented a consolidated one‑page proposal that replaces 'city solicitor' language with a 'Department of Law' heading and directs more detailed duties to the Methuen municipal code. She moved to amend Section 2‑8(c) to reflect that structure and to allow an ordinance to specify the…
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