The official Charter Review Committee now has a website: https://www.cambridgema.gov/charterreviewThis page has links to the recordings of all of the meetings held so far.
Cambridge City Charter Review
Resources for those who wish to objectively view the history and evolution of the charter
of the City of Cambridge from 1846 to the present and possible modifications for the future.
[updated
2/8/24 3:55 PM]
Charter Review Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes
I would like to informally gather a group of concerned Cambridge residents to form a Study Group to better understand the Cambridge City Charter - past, present, and future - in detail. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current Charter? How did we come to have the current (Plan E) Charter? What improvements to the governmental form and election methods might be advisable? [References]
This Study Group would be separate from the “official” Cambridge Charter Review Committee that was recently appointed by several city councillors. Among other things, this group can monitor the official review committee, discuss and critique any proposals coming from that committee, and independently propose alternatives. If you are interested, please let me know. - Robert Winters
| original proposed 1846 Charter (this is not the same as what was passed and sent to Cambridge voters!) |
1846 Charter (approved by Legislature and Cambridge Town Meeting) |
1846 Charter w/amendments through 1890 appended (as approved by Legislature and voters) |
1891 Charter (as approved by Legislature and voters) |
1915 (Plan B) Charter (as approved by voters) |
1940 (Plan E) Charter (as approved by voters) |
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| M.G.L. Chapter 43: CITY CHARTERS | ||||||
| M.G.L. Chapter 43B: HOME RULE PROCEDURES | ||||||
| M.G.L. Chapter 43C: OPTIONAL FORMS OF MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION ACT | ||||||
The official Charter Review Committee now has a website: https://www.cambridgema.gov/charterreview
This page has links to the recordings of all of the meetings held so far.
Note: The aides of two city councillors are playing principal roles in a committee that explicitly excludes city councillors according to the recent amendments to the City Charter. To whatever degree any councillor or the mayor is guiding or impeding the actions of this special committee, this would be in violation of the spirit and perhaps the substance of Section 116(b) of the revised Charter.
How best to distribute political power in Portland? Fault lines erupt over charter ballot proposal (The Oregonian, Sept 18, 2022)
Yeah - I’m quoted in the article. - RW
Additional Resources
| House No. 13 - An Act to establish the city of Cambridge - 1846 (HTML - this is not the same as what was passed and sent to Cambridge voters! | House No. 13 - An Act to establish the city of Cambridge - 1846 (PDF - scan retrieved via Google) - not the same as final version adopted by voters March 30, 1846 |
| Original 1846 Charter w/amendments through 1890 appended (HTML) - See Note below | Original 1846 Charter w/amendments through 1890 appended (PDF) - scan from Revised Ordinances 1892, published by City of Cambridge - adopted by voters March 30, 1846 - See Note below |
| Note: with Amendments of 1853 (adopted Dec 5, 1853); Amendments of 1857 (adopted May 1, 1857); Amendments of 1867 (adopted Nov 5, 1967); Amendments of 1869 (adopted Nov 2, 1869); Amendments of 1870 (adopted by City Council); Amendments of 1873-A (adopted by City Council); Amendments of 1873-B (adopted by City Council); Amendments of 1877 (adopted by City Council March 14, 1877); Amendments of 1878 (adopted by City Council); Amendments of 1890 (adopted by City Council May 3, 1890) | |
| 1891 Charter of the City of Cambridge (HTML) - adopted by voters Dec 8, 1891 |
1891 Charter of the City of Cambridge (PDF) - scan from Revised Ordinances 1892, published by City of Cambridge) - adopted by voters Dec 8, 1891 |
| 1911 Proposed Charter (scan from original pamphlet of Cambridge Charter Association) - not approved by voters - 5272 For, 6073 Against Chart from 1911 Charter Proposal Inside front cover of 1911 Charter Proposal pamphlet Insert from 1911 Charter Proposal pamphlet |
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| 1915 Charter (Plan B) from Mass. General Laws, Chapter 43 - adopted by voters Nov 2, 1915 | |
| 1938 Mass. House Report of the Special Commission on Taxation and Public Expenditures - Part X (City Manager Government and Proportional Representation), Feb 25, 1938 - scanned from original | |
| Plan E Charter (as amended through 2021) defeated in Nov 8, 1938 municipal election: 19955 For, 21722 Against (47.9%-52.1%), 4615 Blanks approved in Nov 5, 1940 municipal election: Nov 7 Cambridge Chronicle reports 25875 For, 18323 Against (58.5%-41.5%), 7513 Blanks Spreadsheet of votes in 1938 and 1940 elections to adopt Plan E |
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| M.G.L. Chapter 43: CITY CHARTERS | |
| M.G.L. Chapter 43B: HOME RULE PROCEDURES | |
| M.G.L. Chapter 43C: OPTIONAL FORMS OF MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION ACT | |
| Mass. General Laws Chapter 54A (Proportional Representation) PDF version | Rules for Counting Ballots (1941 pamphlet from Cambridge Election Commission) |
| Political History of Cambridge in the 20th Century - by Glenn Koocher (Nov 2004); edited by Robert Winters (July 2006) [An alternate edit of this essay appeared, along with many other valuable essays, in a centennial volume published by the Cambridge Historical Society in 2007.] |
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| The Advent of PR in Cambridge - originally published in the Cambridge Civic Journal on Feb 12, 1998 | |
| HOW TO BREAK A POLITICAL MACHINE – Collier’s Magazine, Jan 31, 1948 (posted Sept 24, 2020, updated Mar 27, 2021) | |
In case you were wondering about how to make Cambridge’s PR elections independent of how the ballots are counted…Election Method Comparison – STV/Cincinnati vs. Fractional Transfer – 2021 Cambridge City Council Election (posted Jan 15, 2022) |
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Plan E Cambridge City Councils - At A Glance (Mayor in bold) — Comments? Plan E Cambridge School Committees (and Mayors) At A Glance — Comments? |
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| Cambridge PR Election Archive | |
| Sept 21, 2020 City Council meeting notes - CCJ Forum (see comment at end)
Sept 23, 2020 Special City Council meeting w/Collins Center: Agenda/Materials meeting video (includes links to documents/presentation) Mar 22, 2021 City Council meeting notes - CCJ Forum (see Communications & Reports #2) Communication from Mayor Siddiqui re: Collins Center May 3, 2021 City Council meeting notes - CCJ Forum (see Communication & Reports #2 at end - memo provided only after meeting was held) May 26, 2021 Special City Council meeting w/Collins Center - Agenda (there was no advance notice of this meeting, and it was canceled) June 2, 2021 Special City Council meeting on Charter Review w/Collins Center: meeting video Ad Hoc Selection Committee Announces 15 Charter Review Committee Members (July 1, 2022) 15-member review team to take first look at the Cambridge town charter (July 13, 2022, Cambridge Chronicle) |
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| May 25, 1907 Cambridge Chronicle - “The ‘new charter’ has been abandoned” | |
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