QUESTION 1:
Shall this Town approve the charter amendment proposed by the Town Meeting as summarized below?
Amend the Town Charter, Section 3-11, to provide that the fourth member of the Housing Authority shall be a Town Appointed Tenant Board Member in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 121B of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Description: This change was proposed by the Town Manager to align the Town Charter with the provisions of Chapter 121B of the Massachusetts General Laws.
A YES vote will authorize the local Housing Authority to appoint a current tenant as a voting member of the Chelmsford Housing Authority.
A NO vote will leave the Charter unchanged.
QUESTION 2:
Shall this Town approve the charter amendment proposed by the Town Meeting as summarized below?
Amend the Town Charter, Section 2-3 (c) to clarify that it is only elected town meeting members who are able to seek re-election within their current precincts by notifying the Town Clerk’s office of the intent to do so by using the appropriate forms supplied by the Town Clerk.
Description: This change was proposed by the Board of Registrars to clarify an existing procedure for elected Town Meeting Representatives seeking re-election. This section amends the portion of the charter titled “Candidates for Re-Election.” The change clarifies that only elected town meeting representatives can run for re-election, and thus it is only those candidates who are eligible to be placed on the ballot by submitting a letter of intent. The proposed change clarifies that town meeting representatives who hold their seats by virtue of appointment to fill vacancies pursuant to Section 2-5(d) are not elected town meeting representatives, thus cannot run for “re-election,” and must therefore file nomination papers and collect signatures to be placed on the ballot.
A YES vote will modify the section of the Charter pertaining to Town Meeting Membership, Candidates for Re-election, by adding the word “Elected” before the word “Incumbent”
to clarify that only those Town Meeting Representatives that were elected on the ballot will be eligible to file a letter of intent on the form provided by the Town Clerk.
(c) Candidates for Re-election. Elected Iincumbent town meeting members may seek re-election within their current precincts by notifying the Town Clerk's office of their intent to do so by using the appropriate forms supplied by the Town Clerk.
A NO vote will leave the Charter unchanged.
QUESTION 3:
Shall this Town approve the charter amendment proposed by the Town Meeting as summarized below?
Amend the Town Charter, Section 2-4 to provide that in the event of a tie vote in the office of town meeting member, the town clerk shall notify the elected town meeting members of that precinct of the vacancy, and any such tie shall be broken by ballots cast by the elected town meeting members participating.
Description: This change was proposed by the Board of Registrars to modify the section of the Charter pertaining to Elections to remove language that called for the Town Clerk and Town Meeting Members to “meet in a convenient place” to appoint someone to temporarily fill a vacancy until the next election. By removing this language, it allows Town Meeting members to vote by ballots cast either in person or by mail.
A YES vote will modify the Town Charter, Part II, Section 2-4 Elections by amending the text in the second paragraph as follows:
In the event of a tie vote in the office of town meeting member the town clerk shall, within seven days of the election, call all of the town meeting members of that precinct together at a convenient place notify elected town meeting members within that precinct of the vacancy. Under the supervision of the town clerk, any such tie shall then and there be broken by ballots cast by the elected town meeting members present participating.
A NO vote will leave the Charter unchanged.
QUESTION 4:
Shall this Town approve the charter amendment proposed by the Town Meeting as summarized below?
Amend the Town Charter, Section 2-5 (d) to provide that in order for a write-in candidate to be eligible to fill a town meeting member vacancy under this section, such write-in candidate shall have received at least ten (10) votes in the most recent election.
Description: This change was proposed by the Board of Registrars to modify the section of the Charter pertaining to vacancies so that any write-in candidate for a Town Meeting seat who was not elected would have to have received at least 10 votes in the last town election to be held in reserve to fill a later occurring vacancy within that precinct. This reduces the administerial challenge of maintaining a long list of candidates all of whom received the same very small number of write-in votes. This situation constitutes a failure to elect and leaves no provision for moving someone up from the reserve list. This change would have no impact on actual election results, when a candidate can win a seat with even one vote.
A YES vote will modify the Town Charter Charter, Part II, Section 2-5(d) relative to Vacancies, by inserting the underlined text as follows:
(d) Filling vacancies. Any vacancy in the full number of town meeting members from
any precinct shall be filled by the person receiving the highest number of votes
among the defeated candidates at the last election. In order to be eligible to fill a vacancy, a write-in candidate shall have received at least ten (10) votes in the most recent election. In the absence of such candidate, the vacancy shall be filled until the next annual town election by the remaining town meeting members from the precinct, from among the voters in said precinct.
A NO vote will leave the Charter unchanged.