Select Board schedules Oct. 27 charter petition hearing

Select Board · Meeting of October 14, 2026

TOWNSEND — The Townsend Select Board scheduled an Oct. 27 hearing on a citizen petition to make the town clerk an appointed post. Town counsel Adam Costa said the Chapter 43B charter route requires a public hearing, a two-thirds town meeting vote, state review and a ballot vote. Two other petitions seek a transfer from the clerk's salary line to legal expenses and a salary cut; the board has 45 days from Oct. 6 to call a special town meeting, tentatively Nov. 18 or 19.

Costa also updated three lawsuits filed by the clerk, including one dismissed without prejudice. The board then voted 3-0 to enter executive session.

In the full story:

• Overview and Agenda
• Petition 4.2: Transfer From Town Clerk Salary to Legal Expenses
• Petition 4.3: Town Clerk Salary Reduction
• Petition 4.1: Charter Amendment, Elected to Appointed Clerk
• Public Updates on Litigation
• Public Comment on Legal Costs
• Closing Business and Votes
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,487 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.