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Council approves first reading of charter update, including forfeiture and vacancy rules for November ballot
Summary
Town attorney presented ordinance 2026-02 to submit an updated town charter as a single ballot question to the Nov. 3, 2026 general election; the update clarifies residency and qualification rules, vacancy-filling procedures and a forfeiture-of-office mechanism; first reading passed and second reading is scheduled for March.
Town Attorney Scott Simpson and staff walked the council through Ordinance 20‑26‑02, a proposed updated town charter that the Charter Review Committee drafted and recommended placing before voters as a single question on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Simpson said the redlined charter is shorter and clarifies how elections are to be conducted, how vacancies are filled and creates a procedure allowing the council to forfeit an elected official's seat for certain specified conduct.
Simpson described the new provisions as intended to make the charter consistent with state law and town practice. "If you're convicted of a crime involving more moral turpitude, you are, can forfeit your seat," Simpson said while explaining the forfeiture language the committee recommended. Council discussed whether to submit one consolidated question or multiple separate questions and opted to proceed with first reading by title only. The council approved the first reading in a roll‑call vote and agreed to schedule second reading for the second meeting in March, providing time to circulate the redline for public review before the final vote.
