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Gray council votes to start Charter Commission process and sets size at seven
Summary
The council directed staff to initiate formation of a Charter Commission under Maine law, cited topics that may warrant revision (town meeting rules if budget fails, town manager residency), and decided the commission will have seven members; the commission will hold required public hearings if formed.
The Gray Town Council voted on July 14 to direct staff to start the statutory process to form a Charter Commission. Councilors said the town's charter has not been comprehensively revised in many years and identified a set of potential areas for review, including what happens if the town budget fails, the residency requirement for the town manager and several clerical corrections uncovered by codification work.
Britt, a staff member, explained that the council's vote would allow the town to meet statutory deadlines for a fall ballot and that the commission, if formed, must hold public hearings and would ultimately submit any recommended charter changes to voters. Councilors discussed legal costs and recommended that councilors forward specific ideas to staff so the commission would have guidance while retaining independence to recommend changes.
The council amended the order to specify a seven-member commission and voted in favor of initiating the process. Several councilors said they would encourage residents to consider running and that they would provide suggested topics for review.
