The Select Board on Monday night approved a comprehensive study of the town’s form of government with the goal of producing a new charter. The move comes after the town was awarded a state grant for the work; a $15,000 contract has gone to The Collins Center, a UMass Boston organization that supports local and state governments with management challenges.
“Burlington currently operates under a patchwork of general laws, special acts, bylaws and Town Meeting rules,” said Collins Center associate Patricia Lloyd, who is set to work with the town on the effort. “A charter, which can be considered the constitution of a local government, is one document that creates consistency and transparency. It’s an instruction manual.”
The Select Board has discussed a governmental review multiple times in recent years, often “kicking the can down the road,” in the words of Select Board Member Nick Priest. “It’s a big thing to tackle,” he said. The goal would not be to radically transform the form of government, but rather to codify what’s working and offer suggestions for places where there’s overlap or “siloing” among town organizations.
The Board is now seeking between 5 and 11 members for a committee, which will meet twice monthly for 12 to 18 months, with the support of The Collins Center staff. The Select Board would review any recommendations and pass on a draft charter or special act to Town Meeting for a vote. A town-wide vote would be needed for final adoption.
“Anything we can do to take a look at our town government to see what we do well and codify that, and what we don’t do well and how we can improve things, not only for our residents but for our town employees as well, is a good thing,” Select Board Member Mike Espejo said.