Charter Commission News
June 29, 2010 - Proposed Cumberland County Charter on Tour
(Re-Printed from the Forecaster. Click here for the full story.)
By Kate Bucklin
PORTLAND — The Cumberland County Charter Commission will host a series of public hearings to gather feedback on a proposed charter that has been in the works for the past year and a half.
County voters elected six members to the Charter Commission in November 2008; two more were appointed by county commissioners. Cumberland County has never had a charter, instead operating under rules set by the Legislature about 250 years ago.
The commission has been holding hearings since May in municipalities throughout the county. July 8 at 6:30 p.m. the commission will be at Brunswick Town Hall to discuss the proposed charter. Subsequent hearings are scheduled in Gorham and Raymond, before the commission begins the approval process in August.
The draft charter suggests several changes to the way county government operates.
The commission is proposing to eliminate the elected positions of treasurer and register of deeds. The county has had a finance director for several years who handles financial operations. The elected treasurer has limited duties, including signing checks.
The proposed charter would increase districts in the county from three to seven. Increasing the number of districts would reduce the number of people each commissioner represents. Currently, each of the three commissioners represent about 90,000 people. If increased to seven districts, each commissioner would represent about 39,000 residents.
That would be on par with other Maine counties.
The Gorham hearing is scheduled for July 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall and the Raymond hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Jordan Small School portable.
On Aug. 5, the Charter Commission is expected to vote on final language for the proposed charter and forward the recommendation to the County Commission. The County Commission is scheduled to vote Aug. 16 on final language. Both of those meetings will happen at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland.
Voters will decide on the proposed charter on Nov. 2.
05/04/10 - Proposed Cumberland County Charter proposes job, district changes
(Re-Printed from the Forecaster. Click here for the full story.)
By Kate Bucklin
PORTLAND — A charter for Cumberland County that has been two years in the making is ready for public review, as its drafters prepare to send the document to a November vote.
The Cumberland County Charter Commission was elected in November 2008 to create a charter for the county, which has been operating for 250 years under rules set by the Legislature.
"We've never had a charter," Bill Whitten, the assistant county manager, said. "We've been following the legislative rules that created county government 250 years ago."
The draft charter is a 10-page document that outlines how the county as a government is organized and how it elects officials and hires employees, and includes a few big changes.
The Charter Commission has proposed eliminating the elected positions of treasurer and registrar of deeds. The elected positions of sheriff, district attorney, judge of probate and register of probate would remain, because those positions are required by state law to be elected.
Whitten said the county has had a finance director for several years who takes care of the county's financial business and the budget. Currently, the elected treasurer's duties, by law, includes signing checks.
The registrar of deeds would be hired by the county manager; the county treasurer would be eliminated.
Another proposal is to increase the districts within the county from three to five or seven. Currently, each of the county commissioners represents about 90,000 residents. If the commission is increased to seven districts, each member would represent about 39,000 residents, according to Elizabeth Trice, county coordinator of grants and special projects.
In other counties, the number of residents per district range from about 50,000 in Penobscot County to about 10,000 in Franklin County. The average is about 30,000.
The Charter Commission has scheduled several public hearings in the coming months. On May 13 at 6:30 p.m. the commission will hold a hearing in Council Chambers at South Portland City Hall.
On June 28 at 5:30 p.m., a hearing is scheduled at Scarborough Town Hall.
For a full list of upcoming Charter Commission meetings, and to view the draft charter, go to cumberlandcounty.org and select the Cumberland County Charter Commission link.
3/5/10 The Cumberland County Charter Commission asks for feedback on Draft Charter
The Cumberland County Charter Commission is giving voters a peek at the document that could change the way county government runs.
Nine elected officials have been studying the state’s largest county since January 2009. Commissioners believe the proposed Charter will improve the way county government delivers services to more than a quarter-million people in 28 municipalities and townships.
The proposed Charter eliminates two elected positions and expands the types services county government will deliver to more than 250,000 residents.
The public is invited to view and comment on the proposed draft charter. The Commission will hold a number of public hearings in communities throughout Cumberland County in the months leading up to November 2010. Feedback on the charter can also be sent to any of the individual charter commission members.
