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Holden Charter Commission
Final Report
The
Holden Charter Commission was established by the voters
on November 7, 2000. The elected members of the
Commission were Edward David, Robert Harvey, Joy
Knowles, Dion Seymour, Lewis Payne and Jonathan
Dearborn. Appointed members were James Ellis, Harris
Madson and Irvine Marsters. Harris resigned in June,
2001 and was replaced by Kevin Cuddy. At the
organizational meeting in January, 2001, Ed David was
elected Chairman and Jim Ellis, Secretary. The
Commission met 21 times, which included 2 public
hearings. Members participated in extensive research,
including studying sample charters, interviewing local
officials, reviewing applicable laws, and spent many
hours discussing the various elements that should be
included in a Charter for Holden. Their efforts
culminated in the accompanying document.
One of the goals of the Commission was to have a charter
prepared in time for consideration by voters on November
6, 2001. Should the Charter be approved, citizens will
not see a big change in their local government. Some of
the highlights of the proposed charter include the
following. The Town Meeting will be retained and
citizens will continue to vote on the annual budget,
borrowings in excess of 2% of the most recent State
valuation amount, ordinances pertaining to the
Comprehensive Plan, and Zoning Ordinances changes,
except Conditional Zoning. The Board of Selectmen will
be changed to a Council, but the number of members will
remain the same and the Town Manager will continue to be
the chief administrative officer. In addition to the
authority now vested in the Selectmen, the Council will
be able to adopt ordinances pertaining to Conditional
Zoning, Road Acceptance, State Mandated Changes,
Subdivision Matters, borrowings up to 2% of the most
recent State valuation amount, and appropriations up to
$100,000 in any one fiscal year. The Town Meeting date
and election process will not be changed. The Charter
includes an initiative provision, which is a way for
citizens to bring ordinances directly to the voters, a
referendum process that enables citizens to require a vote on ordinances passed by the Council, and
a recall provision for citizens to use if they believe
an elected official has not acted in the best interest
of the Town. There are other small differences, but
these are the major ones.
The Charter is our attempt at a well thought out
transitional document. The principal effect on our
governance is the change from Selectmen/Town Meeting to
Town Council/Town Meeting. The expectation and plan of
this Commission is that this document may be amended to
meet the changing needs and wishes of the citizens of
Holden over time.
We wish to thank the many individuals who provided
assistance in the preparation of the Charter. We are
particularly indebted to John Bryant whose guidance
during the deliberation process was a big help in
focusing on the critical issues.
Ed David, Chairman |
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