On Tuesday June 24, 2025 the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government is discussing H.4156, which reforms the Cambridge City Charter

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL Patricia Nolan City Councillor CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 Email: citycouncil@cambridgema.gov Dear Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government Members: We write in strong support of the home rule petition submitted by the Cambridge City Council to adopt a new city charter. The home rule petition was authorized unanimously by the City Council, and we respectfully urge the Legislature to act swiftly, so that our election officials have sufficient time to prepare for voter consideration this November. This email is a short summary of the proposed charter. As background, Cambridge currently operates under a Plan E form of government, a model no longer authorized by Massachusetts law. Our charter has not been changed substantially since its adoption in 1940. Recognizing the need for modernization, the Council established a Charter Review Committee [CRC], which worked for more than a year to recommend changes, in consultation with the Collins Center. After receiving the CRC’s final report, the Council discussed and deliberated on the recommendations, ultimately voting unanimously to submit the proposed charter as a home rule petition now before the Legislature. The proposed charter maintains Cambridge’s council-city manager form of government and retains our at-large elections conducted via proportional representation every two years. Thus, the structure of the government will largely stay the same. The new charter introduces important updates in form, clarity, and oversight. What the new charter does: ● Modern, Accessible Language: The proposed charter follows best practices in language, formatting, and structure, as outlined by the CRC in consultation with the Collins Center. The formatting is in line with CRC recommendations, and the Council and the Law Department worked to ensure that the language was accessible to residents. One important role of a city charter is to inform the public regarding the governance of the city. To that end, we have worked to ensure the language in this document is clear and without unnecessary reference to other state law, where possible. It is a document that is gender neutral and accessible to all readers. As noted by the CRC Final Report about the current Plan E Charter: “As a document that is supposed to be the foundation of our government, it does not meet the moment… A modern form and structured charter would better serve Cambridge’s government and residents.” This new form and language are in line with the CRC recommendation of enacting a modern form and structured charter. ● Regular Review Processes: This new charter will retain regular charter review on a predictable timeline, every ten years. Additionally, in line with best practice, the new charter adds a provision for regular review of our code of ordinances.

2 ● Expanded Oversight and Accountability: The new charter codifies the recent addition of an annual review of the city manager and adds additional review processes for the city clerk and the city auditor. The charter expands city council review of city manager appointed positions to multi-member bodies like boards and commissions. The charter also codifies the process by which the city council passes policy orders to the city manager. ● Clarified Roles in Budget Authority: A change to the charter is clarity of role on the budget. Article 6 of the new charter codifies required public meetings before the end of the calendar year rather than the fiscal year and with enough time to influence budget submission. ● Refinement to Governance Roles: The city council will continue to choose their own chair (the mayor). The mayor will serve as an ordinary member of the School Committee with its chair being elected by the school committee. ● Improved Elections Language and Flexibility: This new charter retains the current ranked choice voting system while expanding flexibility. The new language allows the Board of Elections Commissioners to modify the tabulation methods based on modern practices. The elections system in Cambridge is one of the best in the state and has allowed for expansion of early voting, vote by mail, and accessible voting systems. Our current elections processes are codified in part by the Plan E document, but also in part by a number of Special Acts that have been amended, changed, and ruled on by courts over many decades. Retaining those powers and codifying that work in a plain language document is important. In summary, the home rule petition represents an important step forward for Cambridge. The proposed charter is a modern and clear plain-language document that expands review and democratic accountability measures within our government, standardizes best practices, and sets up a process by which we can further refine the charter. It reflects our City’s vision for more equitable, just, and transparent governance. That is an exciting promise and a great step forward for the city. Thank you again for considering this important home rule. We would be happy to answer any questions. Sincerely, Patricia M. Nolan, City Councillor On Behalf of the Cambridge City Council