Bill
S 2527
Amends Wareham’s charter to specify seven voting members and one nonvoting member of the Capital Planning Committee, with appointments by designated town bodies.
Status (as provided): RECOMMIT; ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN. Introduced/filed June 4, 2025; presented by Sen. Kelly A. Dooner (petition by vote of the town). Local approval received.
Note on source materials
- The materials you provided contain multiple, inconsistent texts (a Massachusetts local charter amendment, an unrelated New Jersey statutory amendment, an unrelated bill title about bicycle license plates, and federal sponsor names). The authoritative text for S 2527 (Senate No. 2527) in the Massachusetts docket is the Wareham town charter amendment. The remainder appears to be extraneous and likely included in error. The summary below treats the Wareham charter amendment as the bill’s subject.
Purpose and intent
- To amend the town charter of Wareham to revise the composition and membership rules for the town’s Capital Planning Committee, clarifying who serves as voting and non‑voting members and how certain members are appointed.
Key provisions (what the bill would change)
- Replaces the first paragraph of clause (3) of subsection (a) of section 2‑5 of the Wareham town charter with a new paragraph that establishes membership and appointment rules for the Capital Planning Committee:
- Committee composition: seven (7) voting members and one (1) non‑voting member.
- Voting members to include:
- Finance Director (or that person’s designee) — serves by virtue of office.
- Town Administrator (or that person’s designee) — serves by virtue of office.
- One member appointed by the Planning Board from among its membership.
- One member appointed by the Finance Committee from among its membership.
- Three members appointed by an “Appointing Authority.” The Appointing Authority is defined as a three‑person body consisting of the Town Moderator (who serves as chair), the chair of the Select Board, and the chair of the Finance Committee.
- Non‑voting member: Town Accountant (or that person’s designee) will serve as an ex‑officio nonvoting member.
- The town is authorized to adopt bylaws establishing other conditions regarding these appointments.
Who is affected
- Municipal government of the Town of Wareham:
- Members and leadership of the Capital Planning Committee (new formalized composition and appointment sources).
- Planning Board and Finance Committee (each will appoint one of their own members).
- Appointing Authority (Town Moderator, Select Board chair, Finance Committee chair) gains responsibility to appoint three committee members.
- Town Finance Director, Town Administrator, and Town Accountant (specified ex‑officio roles).
- Residents indirectly: changes may affect local capital planning, project prioritization and oversight.
Procedural and timeline aspects (as recorded)
- Filed June 4, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 2954 / Senate No. 2527).
- Petition submitted “by vote of the town” and local approval is indicated.
- Hearing scheduled (per record) for June 24, 2025.
- Reported favorably by committee and placed in the Orders of the Day (July 31, 2025).
- Subsequent legislative actions in the record include reads, committee referrals, and a notation that a new draft (Dooner) was substituted (see S2700). Status entries include “RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN” (May 27, 2025) — this procedural entry means the bill was recommitted to committee and the enacting clause was removed in that stage; further action would be required to restore and pass an enactment clause and carry the change into law.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Clarifies and centralizes appointment authority for a key municipal committee, which may change the balance of influence among town officials and boards in capital planning decisions.
- Provides explicit representation for planning and finance boards and ensures administrative continuity through ex‑officio roles.
- Allows the town to refine appointment conditions by bylaw, offering flexibility but also the potential for further local procedural changes.
Recommendation
- For authoritative status and final language, consult the official Massachusetts legislative docket or the Town of Wareham’s clerk/charter files. If you intended to summarize a different S 2527 (e.g., a bill about bicycle license plates or the New Jersey amendment included in the documents), please provide the correct jurisdiction or bill text and I will produce a focused summary.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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