Council approves charter cleanup ordinance after debate over council removal authority

The council passed a comprehensive charter cleanup ordinance that updates language to match current state law and clarifies municipal procedures, but not before a substantive debate about keeping or striking provisions that affect council authority.

Charlie, the town attorney, explained that one provision in the draft charter would have left a council the power to terminate another elected officer — a change the attorney cautioned could be legally vulnerable and undemocratic because it would allow a council to effectively remove an elected official outside the recall process. Charlie recommended striking that language to avoid potential legal challenges and uphold residents’ electoral choices.

Council members discussed two additional substantive items: removing archaic language about hiring additional assistants (reflecting that the town manager handles personnel in day-to-day operations) and whether to change council terms from two years to three. Several members expressed concern about surrendering permanent hiring or removal powers to managers or the council without public input; ultimately council accepted the attorney's recommendation to remove the removal clause and passed the cleanup ordinance on second reading by a 3–1 vote.

On term lengths, council members indicated a consensus leaning to three-year terms and chose a transition option for how terms could change if put on a referendum. The matter of runoffs and the threshold for a runoff election were discussed (35% was among the options discussed) and staff was asked to draft language for first reading and public outreach in advance of any ballot measure.

The charter-cleanup ordinance includes a small Scrivener change (standardizing the title 'mayor pro tem') and other non-substantive edits; council asked staff to circulate the draft for final review and to schedule the referendum process if members wish to move forward with substantive charter amendments.