Several members of the Board of Selectmen expressed concern about whether the Charter Review Committee (CRC) could objectively review the charter after its proposal for a mayoral form of government was rejected by Town Meeting.

CRC Chair Alan Slavin, who attended with member Michael Jones, discussed the committee's next steps at Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting.  These steps include getting opinions from individual selectmen, as well as from town employees affected by charter changes, in addition to the previous avenues used to gauge public opinion. The committee will comb through the existing charter to review wording and make changes. It will then make another presentation at Town Meeting in October.

"What you're doing now is what you should have done in the beginning," said Selectman Walter Cruz. "You went, you presented your case, [and] Town Meeting says 'no.' As far as I'm concerned, the Charter Review Committee is disbanded."

Cruz suggested that the Board appoint new members to the committee. Selectmen Chair Jane Donahue pointed out that CRC members were appointed until November, so they can still continue to review the charter. The current charter does not allow the Board to undo appointments, she said.

Selectman Cara Winslow said that while she commended the committee for its effort, she concurred with Cruz. "My biggest concern is whether you can be effective at presenting a successful proposal," she said.

Jones said he was offended by Cruz and Winslow's comments, and "that you would want to throw me and other people off our committee, and put people on who you think will do what you want them to do."

"I didn't say anything about putting my own people on," Cruz responded. "You were hand-picked for that committee."

The debate was ended by Donahue and a bang of her gavel, with Jones saying he was not hand-picked by anyone.

Selectman Brenda Eckstrom noted that a previous CRC presented several proposals and revisions before disbanding.

Selectman Steve Holmes, who first questioned whether the CRC should continue to review the charter, agreed that the committee's job is not complete. "I believe, just to let [the committee] die at this point is not right, because we have issues that we need to deal with."

Slavin and Jones said that increased feedback is essential to the review's success.

"If people withhold their information that they want to provide to this review, then they don't have anybody to blame but themselves if it doesn't get incorporated," Jones said.