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Committee moves charter changes and rule clarifications on treasurer appointment and ordinance voting thresholds toward full council
Summary
The committee reviewed solicitor redlines to bring the charter into conformance with recent ordinance changes (including removal of an elected treasurer), discussed when amendments take effect (solicitor: when signed by the governor), and asked legal to draft clarifying language for sections on spending thresholds and ordinance voting rules.
The Charter & Rules Committee reviewed proposed charter redlines intended to align the charter with recently adopted ordinance changes that alter appointing authority for certain financial offices, including removing an elected treasurer.
City Solicitor Besonette advised that a charter amendment takes legal effect when signed by the governor; the committee discussed the transition between a charter amendment and implementing ordinances and voted to forward the solicitor’s redline to the full council. “Until it’s signed by the governor, that’s when it amends the charter,” Besonette said.
Members also discussed technical fixes to rule 8L and a broader clarification of charter sections 22 and 24 that affect voting thresholds for expenditures and ordinance adoption. Several councilors argued the current language contains scrivener’s errors that unintentionally suggest a supermajority is required in situations where a simple majority should govern; the solicitor said he would draft clarifying language.
The committee requested legal to produce draft language on sections 9, 10, 22 and 24 to clarify notice, the voting threshold for spending and the role of the mayoral veto, and to return those drafts for committee consideration. The committee did not adopt final charter language at the meeting; it forwarded redlines and asked for legal drafting so the full council can act.
