LYNN — The Charter Review Committee has recommended new changes to the City Charter in order to modernize Lynn’s governance and structure.
The committee consists of nine members who were appointed by the City Council and Mayor Jared Nicholson, with former Mayor Thomas McGee serving as the committee chair. The committee also worked together with the Edward Collins Center for Public Management, which is based in UMass Boston.
The charter has also been modified in the past, McGee explained, citing the change in mayor term length from two to four years in the 1990’s as one past example.
One of the committee’s current recommended changes McGee emphasized would make it so the city is no longer required to seek state approval when reorganizing its government, which would leave reorganization plans up to the mayor and City Council.
Another recommendation included strengthening the mayor’s authority over department heads and making it so department heads would no longer serve indefinite terms.
McGee said a lot of the committee’s work involved “downsizing (the charter), cleaning up the language, (and) making it much more clear in terms of understanding.”
McGee highlighted the goal is to ensure that “anybody that wants to take a look at what the charter does can easily understand how the charter is made up, and what it does to allow the city to run its government.”
Another important emphasis of the committee’s process is welcoming public comment. For example, all residents and stakeholders are encouraged to fill out an online form providing any input and suggestions. The form, along with additional information about the committee and its recommendations, can be found at https://www.lynnma.gov/city_government/boards_and_commissions/charter_review_committee.
Additionally, a public hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025, to give community members another chance to express their opinions in advance of the committee’s finalized recommendations.
“We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Charter Commission, led by former Mayor McGee, for its thorough and thoughtful approach to reviewing the City Charter,” Nicholson said. “We support the Committee’s recommendations, which will significantly streamline city government, enhancing accessibility and efficiency to the needs of our community.”
