UPDATE: More Than 2 Dozen Charter Commissioner Candidates for Voters

Tuesday was the deadline for individuals wishing to serve on a possible Charter Commission to study Framigham’s form of government to submit nomination papers to the Framingham Town Clerk’s office.

On Tuesday, March 29, Framingham voters will be asked if they want to create a Framingham Charter Commission.

If voters say yes, they also will elect nine Charter Commissioners.

The Town Clerk received 26 sets of nominations papers, with more than 100 signatures by registered voters, by 5 p.m. Tuesday. Of the 26, 22 were certified by Tuesday night.

Of those 26 sets of nomination papers, all were certified as having 100 signatures of registered voters, and those individuals will appear on the ballot. two individual’s papers were still being certified, as of Wednesday.

More than 30 individuals took out papers to consider a run for Framingham Charter Commissioner.

Those individuals who will appear on the ballot are:

• Christine Long
• Teri Banerjee
• Joel Winett
• Ted Welte
• Brad Bauler
• Jeanne Bullock
• Cheryl Gordon
• George King
• John Kahn
• Valerie Mulvey
• Dennis Giombetti
• Gloria Geller
• Doug Freeman
• Michael Rossi
• Robert Merusi
• Linda Dunbrack
• Dennis Cardiff
• Janet Leombruno
• John Stefanini
• Joe Norton
• Adam Blumer
• Jason Smith

Town Clerk’s office certified the papers Wednesday morning for:

• Tom Tierney
• Deborah Butler
• Laura Medrano
• Dick Weader

Framingham currently is run by a Town Manager, a 5-member elected Board of Selectmen, and Town Meeting. Residents elect 12 Town Meeting members for each of the town’s 18 precincts.

If voters agree to form a Charter Commission in the spring of 2016, the Commission would be tasked to study forms of government for up to 18 months and then make recommendations on possible changes, including the possible of option of becoming a city to voters, as early as spring 2017.

A Charter Commission could recommend Framingham become a City with a mayor. A Charter Commission could recommend Framingham have a city manager and a city council and eliminate Town Meeting. A Charter Commission could recommend Framingham reduce the number of elected Town Meeting member and keep its Town form of Government. In fact, there are dozens of options the Commission could recommend to voters on a future ballot.

Framingham has created several Charter Commissions over the years.

Back in 1996, 63 percent of Framingham voters agreed to create a charter commission to study the idea of changing Framingham from a town to a city form of government.

But a year later, the when the commission asked voters to adopt a city charter the measure was rejected with only 32 percent of voters supporting the ideas.

Voters did agree to increase the number of Selectmen from 3 to 5 and create a Town Manager form of government in town.

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Originally posted at 5 a.m. Updated each time a set of papers was certified on Wednesday, Feb. 10.