Town Meeting 2024

There are several controversial articles that are expected to draw debate when the Annual Town Meeting convenes on May 6; Charter Review Committee and funds requested for a School Resource Officer could spur hot debate

By Mark E. Vogler

By a narrow margin, town voters rejected a ballot question last November that would have created a Charter Commission to consider revising the Town of Saugus Charter, perhaps even a measure that would turn the town into a city. That discussion – which involved some contentious debate and polarized the town during the campaign – could be revisited if the Town Meeting approves a proposal to form an 11-person Charter Review Committee. A Charter Review Committee was proposed in one of numerous articles accepted at Tuesday (April 16) night’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting as members closed the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting, which is set to convene at 7:30 p.m. May 6 in the second floor auditorium at Saugus Town Hall.

Other interesting articles that could draw considerable debate on the floor of Town Meeting include measures that would:

• Appropriate $200,000 from the General Stabilization Fund for a two-year student resource officer (SRO) pilot program. This appropriation would fund the salary and benefits for two years
• Appropriate $100,000 from the General Stabilization Fund for 80 two-way radios for all three school buildings
• Prohibit a former member of the Board of Selectmen or the School Committee from holding any compensated appointed office, or employment that is directly appointed by the Board of Selectmen or the School Committee for which a salary is payable from the town treasury until 18 months following the date on which the former member’s term of office on the Board of Selectmen or the School Committee has terminated.
• Form a Town Meeting committee to investigate the feasibility of registering and inspecting apartments within the Town of Saugus. The committee would examine the process used in at least two other nearby communities to register and inspect apartments. It would also produce a report by the 2025 Annual Town Meeting that may include a bylaw proposal that would identify procedures, costs associated with registration/inspection and recommendations for implementation.

Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Matthew Parlante and Precinct 7 Town Meeting Member Frank V. Federico – two of the 13 new Town Meeting members elected last fall – have been pushing in recent weeks for an article to create a Charter Review Committee.

“The role of the Charter Review Committee is to review the existing Saugus Town Charter and recommend updates or amendments, if applicable, for consideration for the betterment and benefit of the Town of Saugus,” explained a draft of the article submitted to selectmen. “This 11-person committee shall include the following: Ten members of Town Meeting, one from each of the 10 precincts, appointed by a lottery. One selectman appointed by a lottery. The lottery will consist of Town Meeting members and Selectmen that are interested in serving on the committee.”

The article also states that no committee member shall be employed by the town during their employment, except for selectmen. There would be a potential problem with that part of the proposed article, as the 50-member Town Meeting body has numerous members who are on the town payroll. The article further states that the committee doesn’t have a budget and that its recommendations are nonbinding.

“The Charter Review Committee will report back to Town Meeting with an initial report and any recommendations at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting and shall be an ongoing committee that will regularly meet during the year to review the Saugus Charter,” according to the article.

“Members shall be appointed or reappointed on an annual basis,” it stated.