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Charter review committee limits its work to charter updates, will recommend study committee if form change is needed
Summary
The Bridgewater Charter Review Committee voted unanimously to focus its work this year on amending or updating the town charter and added an amendment directing the committee to recommend that the town council form a government study committee if the review finds a change in the form of government is appropriate.
The Bridgewater Charter Review Committee voted unanimously on June 29 to limit its scope to amending or updating the town charter, while preserving a path to consider changes in the town’s form of government.
At the meeting, committee member Ed moved that the committee’s scope be “focused on amending or updating the charter. Period.” Lindsay seconded the motion. After discussion, the committee adopted an amendment stating that if the charter review committee finds a change in the form of government appropriate, it will recommend that the town council form a town government study committee to examine that question.
Members who supported the scope limitation argued the committee’s one‑year charter mandate and limited staff resources make a full study of alternate forms of government impractical. “We just don’t have that kind of time,” one member said, urging that a separate study committee would be better suited to a multi‑year assessment.
Other members pressed the committee not to foreclose the issue without public input. Several said outreach could surface strong resident interest in examining the form of government, and the amendment was offered to ensure the committee could forward such a recommendation to the council.
The committee approved the amendment by roll call, 7‑0, and then approved the main motion as amended, also 7‑0. Committee members casting “yes” votes in the roll calls were Mr. McKinnon, Mr. Diaz, Mr. Walsh, Ms. DiBattista, Ms. Marshall, Mr. Peda, and Mr. Uvalli.
Under the adopted language, the committee will continue its charter review work this year and may recommend that the council form a separate town government study committee if the committee’s public engagement shows residents want to explore changing the form of government.
The vote concluded the committee’s discussion of scope and cleared the way for the group to move fully into plans for gathering resident and official input.
