LYNN — After more than a year of public meetings, committee deliberations, and legal review, the Lynn City Council voted Tuesday night to approve a sweeping set of changes to the city charter — its foundational governing document. The measure passed unanimously, with only Ward 1 Councilor Peter Meaney absent due to a scheduled vacation.
The final vote followed a lengthy public hearing and discussion, during which councilors reviewed the proposed charter amendments line by line, adopting several friendly amendments along the way. The revised charter will now be submitted to the Massachusetts Legislature as a home rule petition for final approval.
Supporters of the charter overhaul — including former Mayor Tom McGee, former Councilor Joseph Scanlon, and current Mayor Jared C. Nicholson — framed the revisions as a long-overdue modernization effort designed to streamline governance, improve transparency, and restore local control over city affairs.
“The charter being too prescriptive has handcuffed us,” said Scanlon, a former Ward 1 councilor and councilor-at-large who served under both the old and current charters. “These changes will enable the council to increase its role in oversight… It puts the operation of government back where it belongs — locally.”
McGee, who chaired the Charter Review Committee, highlighted the group’s 10 meetings over the past year and praised its collaborative spirit. “This was about modernizing and making the charter understandable to the public. We worked line by line to bring in best practices from other communities.”
Nicholson echoed those sentiments, noting that the charter mandates a decennial review — something that hadn’t been done in decades. “Even just getting here is a major step forward,” he said. He emphasized that many of the recommendations were designed to reduce unnecessary state oversight, particularly in routine organizational matters.
Among the most notable reforms are the creation of a formal, transparent capital planning process and the introduction of a joint financial planning session between the mayor, City Council, School Committee, and Chief Financial Officer to help align priorities before the annual budget cycle. The new charter also allows the mayor and council to reorganize departments without needing state legislative approval — a shift away from the constraints imposed by the 1985 “bailout bill.”
Other changes include eliminating tenure protections for department heads and replacing them with updated human resources practices and progressive discipline procedures. Councilor Natasha Megie-Maddrey successfully proposed an amendment to strengthen language in Section 2-7(c), changing “may” to “shall” to ensure the city’s Law Department employs at least one staff attorney. “I just think the wording should be clearer,” she said. “We need that attorney on staff.”
Another friendly amendment introduced and approved during the meeting added the phrase “just cause” to removal procedures for department heads, reinforcing job protections through legal standards.
While most speakers and councilors supported the substance of the reforms, a few expressed concerns about the process — specifically the use of a home rule petition rather than a voter-elected charter commission.
Resident Joanne Lindner spoke in opposition, warning that the revisions might give city officials too much unchecked authority, especially on financial matters. She pointed to the removal of voter approval for major borrowing thresholds, arguing, “Right now, you’ve got a blank check. I think the voters should have a say.”
Councilor Brian LaPierre, though ultimately voting yes, shared concerns about the chosen method. “Of the three legal ways to change the charter, I like this one the least,” he said. “It doesn’t sit right that residents didn’t get to elect charter commissioners.” Still, he praised the overall work and noted the lack of major opposition.
Council President Jay Walsh, who presided over the meeting, thanked councilors, committee members, and residents for their contributions. The final document, incorporating proposed amendments from both the Collins Center and individual councilors, passed without dissent.
The charter, last fully rewritten in 1985, now heads to Beacon Hill. If approved by the House and Senate and signed by the governor, it will become Lynn’s new governing blueprint — one that city leaders hope will better reflect the needs of a modern, growing community.
