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