Walkersville charter review report prompts debate over age limits, COLA and scope of powers

Mary Anne Brodiannis, chair of the Charter Review Committee, presented proposed revisions to Walkersville’s town charter at the March 11 meeting and asked commissioners to review the emailed draft before taking final action.

The revisions remove several outdated, enumerated powers, delete an explicit 25-year age minimum for certain offices and propose an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) mechanism for commissioners tied to a published federal index. Brodiannis said the committee had solicited legal review and that the suggested changes aim to modernize language and reduce obsolete items: “You should have received a copy of the revisions in your email last week,” she said, opening the report (Speaker 10).

Commissioners pressed for specifics. One commissioner asked whether removing the 25-year minimum would implicitly set the minimum at 18 because eligibility is tied to being a registered voter; the committee chair replied that a registered voter must be 18 and that the change simply aligns the charter with voter eligibility. On COLA, commissioners asked which federal index would be used and whether the town should match the method used for town staff; the committee said the index could be selected after further research. “I think there’s a federal standard,” a commissioner said, and committee members agreed to research the most recognized index and return with a recommendation (Speakers 3, 7, 10).

A separate portion of the discussion focused on removing an enumerated list of municipal powers in favor of broader language. One commissioner warned that deleting detailed powers could lead to inconsistent enforcement from one board to another, citing concerns about noise regulation and bell ringing near St. Paul’s. Committee members and the attorney’s input described the charter as setting governing authority while the town code contains enforceable regulations: “You don’t have to change the charter; you change the town code,” a member said, arguing that broader charter language would improve adaptability (Speakers 11, 7, 4).

During public comment a longtime resident urged changing the formal title from “Burgess” to “Mayor,” arguing that the title would be more widely recognized in an emergency or public communications. The recommendation was recorded and will be available for continued consideration; no formal charter vote was taken that night.

Next steps: commissioners requested targeted follow-up from staff and the committee on the COLA index, emergency exceptions and usage limits for remote attendance, and cross-checks to ensure regulations removed from the charter remain covered in town code. The committee indicated they would collate comments via staff email and return with clarifications before any final vote.