COMMITTEE FOR A NEW ANDOVER CHARTER
Questions and Answers
PART 1
Why does Andover need a new charter?
The Andover Town Charter is the document which establishes the structure of how we govern ourselves. Our current Town Meeting form of government dates back almost 400 years to when Andover was a farming community with a population of a few hundred people and when only a few dozen male landowners could vote. Andover’s population is now over 36,000 with more than 26,000 registered voters, yet our form of government is essentially the same as it was in the 1650’s. It no longer serves the needs of the majority of our residents. All other communities in New England with a population as large as ours have changed their form of government.
What is wrong with our current form of government?
Open Town Meeting served Andover well for many years. However, Andover’s population has grown and diversified, and life and municipal governance have become more complex. As a result, we now need a form of government that is more efficient, effective and representative. Specifically, Open Town Meeting has become:
- Inefficient. Annual Town Meetings typically involve 3–4-hour meetings over multiple weekday evenings. The meetings are marked by lengthy and repetitious comments and frequent delays due to confusion. The 2024 Annual Town Meeting lasted seven hours over two weekday evenings. In addition, Special Town Meetings have become increasingly frequent in recent years. Since November 2023, there have been four Special Town Meetings, one within the Annual Town Meeting and three stand-alone Special Town Meetings, the latter of which cost the Town approximately $50,000 per meeting. These Special Town Meetings often address the interests of only a very limited group of residents.
- Ineffective. Town Meeting is not suited for thoughtful deliberation on complex issues, such as changes to zoning bylaws, or on issues which are time-critical, such as budget and funding of capital projects. It also has proven unable to address core responsibilities, such as producing a balanced town budget; the 2024 Annual Town Meeting failed in this responsibility and a Special Town Meeting was needed to produce a balanced budget for FY 25.
- Unrepresentative of Andover’s Population. Town Meetings are often attended by only 1% or 2% of Andover’s registered voters and, of those, only a handful stay until the end of the meeting, when important matters remain to be addressed. Better attended meetings, while still involving well under 10% of registered voters, tend to be driven by single-issue groups. Most importantly, Town Meeting simply is not accessible to many Andover residents. Whether because of parenting responsibilities, work schedules or physical limitations, many people are not able to devote the time necessary to participate. Remote voting is not allowed under Massachusetts law.
PART 2
How can Andover’s form of government be changed?
By state law, an elected Charter Commission is the only way for Andover to change its form of government from Open Town Meeting to a more efficient, effective, representative, and democratic structure.
How is a Charter Commission established?
To place the question of creating a Charter Commission on the municipal ballot, a petition must be signed by at least fifteen percent of the voters of the city or town. For Andover, this requires approximately 4,000 certified signatures. Once these signatures are collected and certified, the question is placed on the ballot. If a majority of voters vote “Yes” at the election, a Charter Commission is created to consider changes and to recommend those changes to the voters at a subsequent election.
Who is on a Charter Commission?
Once the required Charter Commission signatures are collected and certified, Andover residents will have the opportunity to run to be a member of the Charter Commission by collecting the signatures of 50 registered Andover voters during an announced time period. Those who meet this requirement will have their names placed on the same ballot as the Charter Commission question discussed above. If the Charter Commission question receives a majority vote, the nine candidates with the most votes will then be elected as members of the Commission.
What does the Charter Commission do?
After holding at least two public hearings and conducting all of its meetings in public, the Charter Commission conducts research, considers alternatives, and decides whether to recommend a change to the Charter and, if so, what form of government it recommends be in a new Charter. It must issue a report within eighteen months. This report must be published and made available to the public and submitted to the Select Board, which must order the charter proposal to appear on the ballot at the next regular municipal election. If a majority of voters vote in favor of the proposed new charter, it becomes effective immediately or on the date specified in the charter.
PART 3
What are the alternatives to Open Town Meeting?
Besides Open Town Meeting, state law permits three other forms of local government:
Representative Town Meeting
Representative Town Meetings typically have 150 – 200 members elected by precinct. Thirty-two communities have this form of government, although none has adopted it since 1989. Some towns find that there is limited competition for representative seats, while others note that attendance is sometimes a problem. Nationally, fewer than five percent have town meetings, mostly in smaller communities in New England.
Council/Manager Structure
A typical town council might have 13 or 15 members, with nine or ten representing a precinct and four or five elected from the entire town. The council is the legislative body approving the budget and local by-laws and hiring and evaluating a professional town manager. Town Councils often meet twice a month and perhaps more often during budget reviews in winter and spring. The Council/Manager form is utilized in about 60% of municipalities across the country.
Council/Mayor Structure
Most cities have an elected mayor, who serves as the chief executive, with a council similar to that described above, although three Massachusetts cities (Worcester, Cambridge, and Lowell) have a manager as the chief administrator and a mayor who is the leader of the city council. Some cities elect mayors who are well-liked, but not experienced in municipal government and may have more difficulty mastering the complexities of municipal finance and operations. The Council/Mayor form accounts for roughly 35% of municipalities.
Which of these alternatives is best?
Every form of government has its advantages and disadvantages. It will be the job of the Charter Commission to determine, with public input, which form of government best suits the needs of Andover and its citizens.
PART 4
How can I help?
First, you can sign the petition to put the Charter Commission question on the town election ballot. Sign The Petition Here.
Second, you can join us at an upcoming event in town where we’ll be gathering signatures or you can take a petition form and tell your friends and neighbors about this effort, share the link to this website with them, and ask them to sign as well. If you are a member of an Andover social or religious group, you might like to sponsor a meeting to have one of our members make a slide presentation and answer questions. (To obtain a copy of the petition form or to arrange a meeting, send an email to: [email protected])
Third, we would be grateful to receive contributions to offset the cost of materials and signs. Donate Here. THANK YOU!