School Committee rejected first measure to explore changes

By George P. Hassett

What is a fence viewer? Wood and bark measurer? A grain weigher? For some, these leftover jobs from Somerville’s 1899 city charter are proof that the city’s political culture needs reform.

In his inaugural address last month Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone promised to convene a charter reform commission this year to examine possible changes to the structure of city departments, elected bodies and government procedures.

But the first move by an elected official to explore such changes failed last week when Ward 4 School Committee member James Norton’s proposal to send ‚Äúa statement of support of the mayor’s proposal to convene a Charter Reform Commission and ask that the mayor appoint a member of the School Committee to that commission‚Äù was voted down by all other members of the School Committee.

The fairly tame resolution provoked strong reactions from the other School Committee members. Ward 7 member Mary Jo Rossetti said, “My blood pressure is ready to burst. I absolutely, positively will not support this motion.”

Ward 2 member Theresa Cardoso said, “Where is the outcry from the community? There is outcry Рjust on the other side in opposition to this.”

However, Curtatone said that strong response will not deter him from appointing a task force “representative of the entire community” to analyze the charter.

“That was a lot of over reaction,” he said. “We are not focused on any one area of city government, services or departments. They [the School Committee members] overreacted. It is inaccurate to say this process is about the School Committee.” Curtatone did say that changing the committee to an appointed board is something the task force could look at.

Pieces of the city charter are outdated, he said, yet he would not go into details about his own views on what should be changed.

One thing Curtatone said he would not support in a charter reform is any lessening of his power as mayor.

‚ÄúI believe in a strong mayor form of government. I think it makes the mayor more accountable to the voters. I don’t believe in the Cambridge model of a city manager and a weak mayor. I’m accountable to the voters every two years, if they don’t like what I am doing they can vote me out of office,‚Äù he said.

Curtatone said his motivation for charter reform comes from frustration with his city’s lack of power over ‚Äúbasic housekeeping issues.‚Äù

“We had to send home rule petitions to the State House to create the position of a 311 director, remove the police chief from civil service and to combine the jobs of health and building inspectors,” he said. “Home rule is a myth. Most times municipalities find themselves handcuffed when trying to serve the needs of their communities.”

The task force will analyze the charter and any possible changes will be sent to the State House for approval, he said. However, if city officials want to change the terms of office for the mayor or aldermen a charter change committee will have to be elected by city voters, said Alderman-at-Large William A. White. Changes to the School Committee could be made without an elected commission, he said.

The issue of charter change was last raised in 1995 when aldermen submitted recommendations to former Mayor Michael E. Capuano and no action was taken. In 1982, aldermen passed, and the mayor signed, a comprehensive charter revision.  In the Legislature, it passed the House of Representatives, but failed in the Senate.

White said he expects more discussion on the issue in the year to come but for now he has not heard much about it from constituents.

“I have not had anyone contact me about it,” he said.