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September 11. 2012 11:24PM
City charter panel gets OK from voters
MANCHESTER — A panel will be formed to propose changes to the city’s basic laws, after a majority of voters on Tuesday chose to establish a charter commission.
The vote, 8,001 to 5,769, means that Manchester voters will have an especially long ballot in November.
In 2002, there were 75 candidates on the ballot to serve on the charter commission. Residents are asked every 10 years whether to establish the panel.
Any city resident can file to be candidate for the commission. The filing period will run from Sept. 24 through Oct. 5. The top nine vote-getters in November will serve on the panel. The seats are at-large, not ward specific.
The commission would have a year to review and propose changes to the city charter, which would go before voters in the next election, to be voted up or down in their entirety.
The charter review will provide the opportunity to alter fundamental aspects of the way the city operates, which many elected officials have found fault with in recent months.
Among those supporting the formation of a charter commission are members of Citizens for Manchester Schools, the parent group that has been railing against school budget cuts.
The group may see a charter commission as a means to provide the Board of School Committee greater autonomy over the school budget or a way around the limitations imposed by the tax cap.
Mayor Ted Gatsas, for his part, said he didn’t think the charter changes would be approved by voters if they included any weakening of the tax cap.
Another possible change could be to make the school district a city department, a move backed by those who want the city to have greater control over the budget and operation of the schools.
Voters have already approved such a proposal, but it was held up by legal action.
A charter amendment to return the school district to city control was proposed for the ballot this November, but was rejected by the aldermen, in part because some argued it could preempt the work of the commission.
In 2003, voters rejected changes that included a return to partisan elections or fewer school board members and aldermen. They were among dozen significant changes proposed by the charter commission.
Ted Siefer may be reached at tsiefer@unionleader.com.
The vote, 8,001 to 5,769, means that Manchester voters will have an especially long ballot in November.
In 2002, there were 75 candidates on the ballot to serve on the charter commission. Residents are asked every 10 years whether to establish the panel.
Any city resident can file to be candidate for the commission. The filing period will run from Sept. 24 through Oct. 5. The top nine vote-getters in November will serve on the panel. The seats are at-large, not ward specific.
The commission would have a year to review and propose changes to the city charter, which would go before voters in the next election, to be voted up or down in their entirety.
The charter review will provide the opportunity to alter fundamental aspects of the way the city operates, which many elected officials have found fault with in recent months.
Among those supporting the formation of a charter commission are members of Citizens for Manchester Schools, the parent group that has been railing against school budget cuts.
The group may see a charter commission as a means to provide the Board of School Committee greater autonomy over the school budget or a way around the limitations imposed by the tax cap.
Mayor Ted Gatsas, for his part, said he didn’t think the charter changes would be approved by voters if they included any weakening of the tax cap.
Another possible change could be to make the school district a city department, a move backed by those who want the city to have greater control over the budget and operation of the schools.
Voters have already approved such a proposal, but it was held up by legal action.
A charter amendment to return the school district to city control was proposed for the ballot this November, but was rejected by the aldermen, in part because some argued it could preempt the work of the commission.
In 2003, voters rejected changes that included a return to partisan elections or fewer school board members and aldermen. They were among dozen significant changes proposed by the charter commission.
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Ted Siefer may be reached at tsiefer@unionleader.com.
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