Twenty years ago, the town of Salem adopted a charter which set forth the structure and essential details of town government: Town Meeting as legislative body; the First Selectman as elected chief official; the Board of Selectmen as oversight body; what town boards and officers have what general duties, etc.

Now the Salem Board of Selectmen has created a Charter Revision Commission charged with examining the current structure of government and recommending changes to the charter. The commission will begin the charter review process with a public hearing on Wednesday, May 15, at 7 p.m., at the Salem Town Offices. I urge every citizen who cares about the management and future vision of Salem to attend that hearing and express their views on issues such as the budget and mill rate setting process, long-range planning, public safety and other town services. After that hearing, I urge citizens to follow, and contribute to, the commission's study of how Salem's government might work for the next generation.

Meetings will be on the first and third Thursdays of each month, starting June 6, and each meeting will include time for public suggestions and questions. More information will always be at www.salemct.gov/charter-revision-commission-1.

Lee Cole-Chu

Salem

Editor’s note: The writer is chairman of the Salem Charter Revision Commission.