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Legal opinion: Town Council may call special town meeting or referendum to adopt ordinances, staff says
Summary
A legal opinion reviewed by Coventry staff concluded the Town Council has authority to call a Special Town Meeting to adopt ordinances or send them to referendum; committee members discussed implications for the previously debated firearms ordinance.
Town staff told Coventry's Steering Committee May 26 that a legal opinion obtained during the Charter Revision process concludes the Town Council may call a Special Town Meeting to adopt an ordinance or send an ordinance to referendum.
Town Manager James Drumm said the opinion clarified language that had previously been ambiguous in the Town Charter and that the Town Council could structure ordinance adoption so that final approval occurs at a Special Town Meeting or a referendum. Alex Taylor said the Charter Revision Commission had previously decided not to amend the Charter to require resident voting on ordinances because the Town Council is elected to make decisions; the legal opinion nevertheless gives the Council an option to involve voters on major issues.
Committee members discussed how the ruling could affect earlier controversies, including the town's firearms ordinance. Lisa Thomas said she would notify residents who asked about next steps and asked Chair Jonathan Hand to include the legal opinion in his Steering report to the full Town Council.
Next steps: staff will communicate the legal clarification to residents who inquired and Hand will summarize the guidance in his Steering report to the full council.
