Every 10 years, the town of Harvard must take stock of how its government operates and functions, and the time to review is approaching. The Select Board has begun its process of forming a Charter Review Committee, a panel tasked with examining Harvard’s governing document and recommending possible updates for a Town Meeting to consider.
A town charter functions much like a local constitution. It directly defines how power is distributed among the Select Board, town administrator, and Town Meeting. The state’s home-rule law grants a town broad authority to organize its own government within the bounds of Massachusetts General Law. The town’s charter was adopted by Town Election in 2018 after a nine-member Charter Commission of town officials and citizens spent nearly two years drafting it.
The charter lays out who runs Town Meetings, how annual budgets are developed, and how officials are appointed to committees and boards. It states, “The administration of all the fiscal, prudential, and municipal affairs of the Town shall be vested in an executive branch, headed by a select board and a Town administrator,” while legislative powers remain with the open Town Meeting, where any registered voter can debate and vote on local issues.
Under Article 7-8, the current charter requires that every decade the Select Board establish a special committee to review the charter’s provisions. The charter also dictates that the review committee shall consist of nine members.These nine members are appointed as follows:
- Each member of the Select Board designates a citizen at large.
- The Finance Committee designates two citizens at large.
- The School Committee designates one citizen at large.
- The town moderator designates one citizen at large.
The Harvard Charter also specifies that appointees “may, but not need be, members of the agencies that designate them,” except that at most two members of the Select Board may serve.
At its last meeting in October, the Select Board affirmed that anyone from the public may volunteer. Interested residents should complete the online application available on the town website by Dec. 1. The town administrator’s office will coordinate the process.
Town officials say the process of reviewing and updating the charter is as much about participation as about policy. It’s a chance for residents to weigh whether their government remains efficient, transparent, and responsive to today’s needs. Residents who wish to serve are encouraged to apply.
Michael Burns is a senior at Fitchburg State University.
