Vacancy Procedures Take Center Stage
Westerly voters are set to decide on four charter amendment questions in the upcoming election. The measures address procedures for filling vacancies on the Town Council and School Committee, establish term limits for school committee members, and modify how proposed ordinances are published.
The ballot includes Question 6, which would amend the town charter to change how Town Council vacancies are filled. Under the proposed change, the council would be required to offer a vacancy to the first, second, or third runner-up candidates from the preceding election. If none of those candidates serve, the council must appoint a qualified person within 30 days by majority vote.
Rejecting Question 6 would leave the current rules in place, meaning vacancies in the Town Council are filled for the remainder of the term under existing procedures.
Question 8 applies similar vacancy procedures to the School Committee. The amendment addresses how seats on the school board are filled when they become vacant.
The process for these vacancy changes has drawn political commentary. Some Republicans claim the move was politically motivated following a May election where Republican Seth Logan received enough write-in votes to fill a School Committee vacancy for a term expiring in November 2028.
Councilor Michael Niemeyer, a Democrat and member of the last Advisory Charter Revision Commission, defended the changes. Niemeyer stated that the change is a "correction" that should have occurred in the last referendum.
Term Limits and Publication Rules
Beyond vacancy procedures, voters are considering structural changes to school committee tenure and municipal transparency.
Question 7 would establish term limits for the School Committee. The amendment specifies that no member may serve more than two consecutive terms. Under this proposal, partial terms would count as one full term toward the limit.
Question 9 addresses how the town publishes summaries of proposed ordinances. Currently, the town clerk is required to publish these in a newspaper. The amendment would allow the town to publish a summary on its website and other digital platforms when state law does not require newspaper publication.
A fiscal impact statement estimates that Question 9 would result in an annual cost difference to the town of about $87,000. This figure equates to approximately 1 cent per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Contrast With Previous Referendum
The current slate of four questions differs significantly from previous electoral cycles in the town. The four proposed changes stand in contrast to the 19 questions voters decided on two years ago.