FRAMINGHAM - The Framingham City Council voted on their final approvals and rejections of proposed changes to the city’s Home Rule Charter during their meeting at the Memorial Building on Tuesday, August 6.

The document, which was adopted when Framingham officially became a city at the start of 2018, outlines the function and duties of the municipal government.

After months of deliberation, the Framingham Charter Review Committee finalized their proposed changes back in June. Those changes were then subject to a review by the City Council, who was able to either accept or reject any of the proposals. Councilors were not permitted to revise the pitches to their liking.

The suggestions from the Charter Review Committee included measures to increase transparency from municipal officials, efforts to get more residents involved in the civic process, and additional clarifications for strategic and fiscal planning across Framingham. The proposed changes to the document also featured the addition of a municipal position that would aim to lead the city’s efforts in climate resiliency, limits to the number of government positions locally elected officials can hold, and the pitch to move the next review of the charter up by three years to 2030.

“We went through a long process of listening to a whole lot of people, sharing some thoughts amongst ourselves, going through every part of the charter from the start to the finish in painstaking detail,” Chair of the Charter Review Committee Adam Blumer told councilors on Tuesday.

“I think the committee tried to think carefully about what would help Framingham be the best government it could be and best serve the community.”

At-Large City Councilor George King noted that Tuesday’s meeting would likely be the “last look” for these proposals, as he believes they will eventually be approved by local voters when they’re put on the ballot for a referendum.

“It’s an assumption, obviously,” King continued, “but I think it’s a reasonable assumption to make: that this will pass, and pass overwhelmingly. So given that, I think we should, possibly, look at fine-tuning a few areas.”

City Councilors approved and rejected a number of suggestions from the Charter Review Committee.

One of the major points of focus was a change related to Article 2 of the Hole Rule Charter, as District 8 City Councilor Leslie White Harvey made a motion to reject the revision that would prevent any member of the City Council—or, in turn, any other elected position locally—from holding another elected chair, be it at the local level or higher. Blumer explained that provision was added by the Charter Review Committee as a way to balance power and provide more opportunities for community members to get involved in government.

Councilors like Christine Long of District 1 were in agreement with the recommendation, as the City Council eventually was in unanimous approval regarding this change.

“You cannot do (the City Council job) and be on another board that’s elected and do this job sufficiently…If you’re going to be a City Councilor, be a City Councilor,” Long said.

“Do the work that’s required.”

White Harvey—who was initially elected as a Library Trustee before winning a spot on the City Council in 2023—wanted to emphasize that she is not receiving financial compensation for her library role, and that she is not planning on running for that post again.

A section that was added into Article 3 by the Charter Review Committee included the creation of a new charter-mandated position: Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer. The person with that job would aim to put a focus on policies and projects across local departments to address those manners.

District 3 City Councilor Adam Steiner called that new position “critical” to Framingham’s future. It was a sentiment echoed by Vice Chair of the Charter Review Committee Susan Craighead when detailing why this recommendation was included.

“Our intent was: by putting this in the charter…is to say, ‘This is so important. This is so key,’” Craighead explained.

Michael Cannon of District 4 made a motion to deny the creation of the position, but not on the principle of rejecting its intent. Rather, Cannon took issue with the document itself mandating the role; he mentioned that other municipal employees—like teachers or police officers—are not required through the charter. He added that he would be open for the role to be added within the city’s scope similarly to how other municipal jobs are added while accounting for the budgetary process.

Regardless, the City Council voted 9-2 in favor of the creation of the Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer.

Elsewhere in the charter, the City Council voted to reject the proposal of making Inauguration Day in Framingham the second business day of January, as they opted to keep it at January 1. Council members also rejected the suggested removal of reappointments for division heads out of their review process; both new and returning appointees will be subject to a review from the City Council. The Council rejected a process for employees hired by the City Council to challenge suspensions or removals.

The Charter Review Committee’s motion to add one more at-large community member to the Traffic Commission—bringing it to an odd number while also providing residents with a bigger voice within the group—was approved by the City Council, along with the suggestion to change the vocabulary of “general elections” to “regular elections.” Blumer explained this proposal was made as a way to bring Framingham in line with the lexicon utilized at the state level. Councilors turned down a recommended removal of Article 6, Section 7 of the document, which detailed the often-omitted allotment process for the city’s finances. Other minor rejections were made by the City Council in order to comply with state law.

Changes to Framingham’s Home Rule Charter are now subject to an evaluation from Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office following the City Council’s approvals. Council members will then assess the feedback they receive from the state before reviewing the language for election materials related to the proposed changes to the charter. Finally, those revisions will be put to a vote during the municipal election next November.