Public Has One Last Chance to Offer Input on Charter Review

The Amherst Charter Review Committee is nearing the end of its work and is seeking public input once more before the process ends, Jan. 5, 2026.  The Committee plans to have their preliminary report ready for residents to review by Monday, Dec. 8.  It will be posted on the Charter Review Committee’s web page, here.

The committee has tried to capture all that it has heard from residents over the past several months. Input has been varied and sometimes contradictory.  For example, for some, governing efficiency is paramount while others would like more substantial public participation and government transparency. While the Town Council’s charge to the committee mandates focusing on potential changes to the Charter, the committee is also considering input about other topics, some larger than the scope of the Charter, like changing the form of government which would require a new Charter Commission, and some smaller, like changes to the Council Rules and Procedures, changes the council could make with simple votes. The committee hopes to hear from residents and receive their feedback on the details in the preliminary report. That feedback will influence the committee’s final report, due to the new Town Council on January 5, 2026.

The Committee will hold its final public forum in hybrid format to hear residents’ input on the Preliminary Report on Tuesday, December 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Room on the second floor of Town Hall and on zoom.  Here is the zoom link for the public forum: https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/86368994176. In addition to attending the public forum, residents can offer written feed back here: https://www.amherstma.gov/FormCenter/Town-Council-33/2024-Charter-Review-Committee-Feedback-215. The site will be open until January 2nd, 2026 though the committee advises that submitting as early as possible is recommended for maximum impact.