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Newport council votes to start charter review task force after residents split on next steps
Summary
On June 1 Newport City Council voted to begin forming a short‑term, time‑limited charter review task force to prepare recommended changes by late August for possible consideration on the Nov. 3 ballot; residents expressed both strong support and sharp opposition.
The Newport City Council voted on June 1 to begin the process of forming a short‑term charter review task force after a late‑evening public discussion that included both objections and endorsements from residents.
Mayor Rickford Chase presented a memo asking the council to convene a five‑to‑seven‑member task force to work through the summer on charter revisions and return recommendations by mid‑to‑late August, a timeline the mayor said is needed to allow the council to hold required public hearings and warn any ballot question in time for the Nov. 3 election and for legislative consideration in January.
Council members expressed support for using a task force to concentrate work and protect regular council meeting time. The council said it will invite interested residents, taxpayers and business owners to submit letters of interest; applications will be reviewed in executive session and names of appointees announced in open session. The mayor cautioned that the council could not guarantee that names of all applicants would remain private.
During public comment, speakers split sharply. Pam Lance told the council that about 70% of voters rejected the prior charter proposal and urged the council to respect that vote and allow more time and education before restarting the process. Other residents, including long‑time participants and former charter volunteers, said the charter contains errors and liability risks that must be addressed and that a task force with open public meetings could provide the necessary community education.
On a motion by Councilor Andrew Tusette and a second from Council President Carter Finnegan, the council voted to begin forming the task force; the motion carried on a voice vote. The council directed residents to submit letters of interest to the mayor or city offices and slated an executive session to vet nominees before publicly announcing appointments. Council also set its next regular meeting for June 15.
The move begins a compressed timeline: according to the mayor, material to be considered in public hearings would need to be ready in late August to meet statutory and calendaring requirements for a November ballot and for legislative review in January.
The council did not adopt specific charter language at the meeting; the task force will determine what, if any, changes to recommend and will hold public meetings during its review period.
