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09/18/2024 08:00 AMAs members of the Chester Charter Commission, we considered if Chester needed a charter and, if so, how it should be structured. We concluded that a charter was the best way to address the concerns the Board of Selectmen (BOS) asked us to investigate: A) lack of leadership continuity from one election to the next; B) increased complexity of operating a town; and C) enfranchising more voters and improving participation in boards and commissions.
Do we need to change how the Town operates? Yes. In the last election, all three members of our BOS chose not to run again. Expanding the BOS to five members will provide greater continuity and expertise.
Do we need to hire a professional town administrator? Yes. Operating a town is getting more complex, and finding experts within Chester is getting harder. We can hire (and fire) a town administrator based on expertise, experience, and job performance rather than just their residence.
Can we afford to hire a town administrator? Yes. Most towns experience improved services and net savings by year 2. Would a town administrator have too much power? No. The Charter has improved transparency, accountability, and spending limits for the BOS, the town administrator, and an independently-elected Financial Accountability Board (very similar to the current Board of Finance).
Does the Charter disenfranchise voters? No. Expanding the BOS to five members increases voter choice. Having the BOS hire a town administrator does not disenfranchise anyone. Changing most of our boards and commissions from elected to BOS-appointed does not disenfranchise anyone—but enfranchises the 40% of Chester voters who are unaffiliated. Currently, unaffiliated voters are only 9% of the elected boards and commissoins.
We hope you will vote “Yes” for the Charter—for the future of Chester.
Mark Borton
Brian Dailey
Lol Fearon
Jesse Gnazzo
Pat Holloway
Ian McLachlan
Richard Strauss
The Chester Charter Commission