Commission Proposes New Plymouth County Charter

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--SUBMITTED BY PLYMOUTH COUNTY COMMISSIONER ANTHONY O'BRIEN: The Plymouth County Charter Study Commission held its final meeting on April 17 in Hanover and approved a proposed new charter.
In its 385 year history, Plymouth County has not had a Charter as it is not required since Mass. General Laws govern county government.
Supporters of a charter say it will give the county more administrative, legal, and financial authority. The 19 member Charter Commission was elected in 2010 to consider either abolishing county government in Plymouth County or proposing a charter.
In the 1990's, 8 of 14 county governments in the state were abolished.
Last year, the commission voted to not abolish Plymouth County government.
Highlights of the proposed charter include increasing the number of commissioners from 3 to 5, changing Advisory Board members from elected to appointed, and creating a provision to recall elected officials that citizens may be dissatisfied with.
The County Advisory Board is the legislative branch that approves the county budget.
"Like most citizens that I have talked with, I agree with some parts of the proposal and disagree with other parts," O'Brien said. O'Brien said increasing the number of commissioners is more government when citizens want less and changing elected officials to appointed is less accountability when citizens want more, but the ability to recall officials rightly increases accountability.
But, if the state does not increase support for county government then the county will not succeed," O'Brien said. 
The proposed charter will be forwarded to the state--which may or may not approve the proposal.
 If approved then it will be placed on the November ballot to be decided by the voters.
The last Plymouth County Charter Study Commission in 1988 proposed a charter that was disapproved by county voters.
The commission is planning a campaign to promote the proposal with the state and the public to begin with kick-off event in the next few weeks.
Please see www.PlymouthCountyMass.US for more information or contact O'Brien at 508-830-9100.