Charter Revision Commission Chairman Jeff Capeci said after about 45 minutes of discussion April 30, commissioners narrowly voted down a proposal to clarify a 4-3 split designating specific political minority representation on the town’s Board of Education. Commissioners, with only Eric Paradis dissenting, then voted to recommend striking one sentence from the proposed charter revision they agreed clarified “bare minority” representation locally would mirror what is outlined in state statutes.

It was previously determined the state statute stipulates a 5-2 party split constitutes a majority.

Commissioner Deborra Zukowski, who moved to add language stipulating a 4-3 party split, previously told The Bee that while she was convinced charter language already mandated following state minority representation standards, she believed residents who endorsed that revision years ago acted on ballot instructions that said the revision, if approved, would create a 4-3 split.

In 2008, voters approved that charter change to expand the school board makeup from six to seven members. Explanatory text distributed to the media and voters at the time said the change would allow “up to four members from any one political party.” That explanatory text was created by then Charter Commissioner and Democratic Town Registrar LeReine Frampton and was approved by then Legislative Council Chair Will Rodgers.

Mr Rogers, a Republican, has since been elected to the Board of Selectmen.

That explanation highlighting a 4-3 split became a point of contention in the run-up to the 2013 election, when Republicans won five seats on the school board. Prior to that election, Town Attorney David Grogins reviewed the bare majority stipulation in the charter and sanctioned a 5-2 split on the board.

“To me it’s clear what the charter is saying, but the people who endorsed it — the representative electorate, I believe, thought it would [deliver] a 4-3 split,” Ms Zukowski said.

The second motion, which passed 8-1, agreed to remove the following sentence from section 2-30, section C: “At each Town Election the number of candidates of any one political party elected to serve on the Board of Education shall not exceed a bare majority of the number of candidates to be seated.”

Mr Capeci said most of the current commissioners agreed that sentence compounded confusion on the matter, and felt it should be removed.

“This seems to be the only issue that has resulted in a split vote,” he said. “As far as I can recall, all other issues we have voted on so far have resulted in unanimous consensus.

“It is an inherently political question, and it generated support along party lines,” he added.

Mr Capeci said town resident Maureen Crick Owen and Board of Education members Laura Roche and Michelle Ku all spoke during public comments. He said Ms Crick reiterated comments commissioners received in a letter she submitted, while Ms Ku asked whether the charter panel was considering input they received in a series of e-mails and correspondence from other community members on the issue.

The charter commission chairman said Ms Roche acknowledged that while the current school board is not engaging or voting along political party lines, it may not always be the case. According to meeting minutes, Ms Roche said she is fine with the current charter stipulation designating a 5-2 makeup.

Those minutes also indicate that 22 e-mails were dispatched by residents, with 15 expressing a belief that voters endorsed a bare minority standard mandating a 4-3 party split.

In other commission business April 30, Mr Capeci said the panel came very close to completing suggested language on how the town should advertise and dispose of public property. He said commission Vice Chair Robert Hall presented a draft of language, and Ms Zukowski requested incorporating several added stipulations, which will be incorporated before the panel’s next meeting, scheduled for May 13.

Mr Capeci said he estimates the commissioners are two-thirds complete in their task of fully overhauling the town’s constitutional document with the ultimate goal of making it more “user friendly,” while correcting or inserting areas of confusing language or apparent policy conflicts. The group will take up reviewing charter stipulations tied to town financial practices and budget issues in the coming weeks, and anticipates a final draft will be available for a planned public hearing the week of June 15.