The Braintree League of Women Voters has asked the two proposed Charter Committees to answer the following questions.

The responses submitted by each committee have not been altered or changed in any way by the League.

The responses from each committee have been added to our VotersGuide2006

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BRAINTREE’S PROPOSED CHARTERS:

RESPONSES OF THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT A MAYOR

How will a mayoral form of government be more accountable than our current board of selectmen/town meeting form of government?

Response: The Mayor is chosen by all voters in the general town election, and as such, is accountable to each and every citizen in the town. Since nearly all departments report directly to the Mayor*, the Mayor has authority to set priorities and introduce plans and programs that are in the best interest of all citizens of the town. Therefore, if plans are not implemented, and needed programs not established, it is the Mayor who can be held accountable by the citizens of the town.

This notion of having a single person who is accountable to the citizens is a significant change from the existing form of government. Often times under our existing form of government in order for a decision to be made, a budget passed, etc., many boards and bodies, some of whom have conflicting goals and agendas, must be involved. This being the case, when a poor decision is made, or worse, no decision is made, there is not a single board or body that is accountable to the citizens of the town. Under the proposed mayoral/town council form of government, it is the Mayor who must answer to the citizens for the consequences of actions not taken or decisions poorly made.

Additionally, when a citizen of the town has a problem or needs to have an issue resolved, it is the Mayor who will have the power and the resources to get the problem resolved. The Mayor will be there to work with the Town Council and the various boards and departments to both resolve issues on behalf of individual citizens and to institute programs that will better the community.

*The Municipal Lighting Board, the Thayer Library Trustees, the Braintree Housing Authority and the School Committee will remain as elected boards. It is important to note that the Mayor will be a voting member of the School Committee.

What are the responsibilities and duties of the mayor ?

Response: The Mayor will be elected by the voters and serve a four-year term. Duties and responsibilities of the Mayor are as follows:

• Enforce the Charter, laws, ordinances and other orders of the town
• Appoint, with the approval of Town Council, all department heads, town officers and members of multiple-member bodies with the exception of those that will remain elected (see footnote in question above)
• Serve as an ex officio member of all multiple-member bodies and make motions, but not serve as a voting member
• Serve as a full voting member of the school committee
• Prepare the budget and present it to the Town Council for approval
• Negotiate all personnel contracts
• Remove or suspend any town officer or head of any department that he/she has appointed
• Approve every order, ordinance, resolution or vote adopted or passed by Town Council; Mayor has veto power that can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of Town Council
• Implement a plan to organize/reorganize the town into operating agencies with the approval of Town Council
• Publish an annual report for public inspection
• Represent the town at the regional, state and federal level

What are the responsibilities of the council under the mayoral form of government?

Response: The Town Council is a nine-member body that will consist of six members who will represent each district (the proposal assumes the existing twelve precincts will be reorganized into six districts) and three at-large members. Town Council members will serve two-year terms. The duties are responsibilities of the Town Council are as follows:

• Approve all director/department head and multiple-member body appointments made by the Mayor
• Establish by ordinance the salary and minimum qualifications for all town appointments and positions
• Approve the budget submitted by the Mayor; can decrease line items, but cannot increase or add new line items
• Introduce changes in by-laws, ordinances, etc. and send to Mayor for approval; vetoes by the Mayor can be overridden with a two-thirds vote
• Appoint the following positions:
  • Town Auditor (three-year term)
  • Town Clerk (three-year term)
  • Clerk of Council (three-year term)
• The Town Council President will be appointed by Town Council members and will appoint members of all committees
• All sessions of the Town Council will be open to the public and any citizen may be recognized to speak on an agenda item
• Approve organization/reorganization plans introduced by the Mayor

What is the anticipated transition cost for your proposed form of government?

Response: The primary transition cost for this plan will be for legal fees to amend all ordinances, by-laws, etc. Based on the experience of Weymouth, it is estimated this cost will be in the $300-$400K range. It should be noted that the figure that has been publicized for Weymouth is in the $1Million range. This figure includes the extensive renovations they chose to undertake at town hall. The Mayor proposal currently on the table does not necessitate any renovations to the town hall.

Under your proposed form of government which positions, boards and committees would be elected and which would be appointed?

Response: All boards would be appointed with the exception of the following:

• Municipal Lighting Board;
• Thayer Library Trustees;
• Braintree Housing Authority; and,
• School Committee

The Mayor will appoint all directors/department heads and members of multiple-member bodies (this does not include any position that is subject to civil service law). These appointments are subject to the approval of the Town Council and can be rejected by a two-thirds vote of the Council. Additionally, the Town Council can establish by ordinance the salary and qualifications a candidate must possess in order to qualify for a given appointment or position of employment.

What positions would the mayor appoint, and what is the appointment procedure?

Response: The Mayor, subject to the approval of Town Council, has the authority to appoint the director/department heads and members of multiple-body boards. The process, which has built in checks and balances to ensure that qualified people are put in place, is as follows:

1. The Town Council can establish by ordinance the salaries and minimum qualifications of all appointments and positions of employment.
2. The Mayor appoints the directors, department heads, members of multiple-body boards, etc., and presents these candidates to the Town Council for approval.
3. The Town Council has the authority to investigate the background of each candidate and interview said candidates.
4. The Town Council, after conducting due diligence, can vote to approve the candidate or, by a two-thirds vote, reject any candidate put forth by the Mayor.

How long is the mayor’s term and how many terms can he/she serve?

Response: The Mayor serves a four-year term. Since there is no limit on the number of terms that can be served, the voters will decide at the polls how many terms a Mayor will serve. Further, a Mayor may serve less than four years if voters choose to undertake the recall process presented in the proposal.