Northampton to Vote on New City Charter

NEW AT ELEVEN ELECTION DAY COULD MARK THE END OF A VERY LONG PROCESS TO UPDATE NORTHAMPTON'S CENTURY-OLD CITY CHARTER. ABOUT 15 PEOPLE CAME TO THE JFK MIDDLE SCHOOL TONIGHT TO HEAR ABOUT THE DOCUMENT THAT CLEANS-UP AND MODERNIZES THE LANGUAGE IN THE CITY'S 129-YEAR-OLD CHARTER. A CHARTER IS LIKE A CITY'S CONSTITUTION, AND NORTHAMPTON'S CONTAINS OLD AND OUT OF DATE LANGUAGE. "I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I ACTUALLY READ THE CHARTER, THERE WERE PARTS THAT WERE CROSSED OUT IN PENCIL, AND OTHER PARTS WERE WRITTEN IN. IT REFERS TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN, WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS; HASN'T BEEN AROUND SINCE 1954." THE REVISED CHARTER HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY THE NORTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL, THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR. ALL IT REQUIRES NOW IS FOR VOTERS TO APPROVE N A SEPARATE BALLOT NOVEMBER SIXTH. AMONG THE NEW DEFINITIONS OF ELECTED OFFICERS' RESPONSIBILITIES, NORTHAMPTON'S