Massachusetts voters will consider five statewide questions on the Nov. 5 ballot. Barnstable County voters will have a sixth question to consider in addition to the statewide questions. Question #6 was placed on the ballot at the request of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates.
We can streamline Barnstable County government — and save ourselves money — by voting “Yes” on Question #6.
Barnstable County’s government provides valuable services to Cape Cod towns and residents ranging from dredging and immunizations to emergency planning and shellfish propagation. Ours is the only county in Massachusetts with both a legislative branch (the assembly of delegates) and an executive branch (the county commissioners). Each of the 15 Cape towns elects its own assembly delegate, and delegates carry out their duties as defined by the Barnstable County Charter and in the best interests of the towns they represent.
The charter, adopted by the state legislature, defines how the two branches of county government work. It reads, in Section 2-4, “…all legislative powers of the Cape Cod regional government shall be vested in the assembly of delegates, which shall provide for the exercise of all powers and the performance of all duties imposed upon the county….” The assembly sets expenditures through the budget and as needed with supplementals. “Legislative powers” are widely understood to include making financial appropriations. As an old adage puts it, “Budget is policy.”
The charter says that the board of regional commissioners “…shall exercise a general supervision and direction over all agencies….” That is the appropriate role of the executive branch of our government.
Over the past several years, conflict has arisen between the two branches resulting from the commissioners’ position that the role of the assembly is to rubber-stamp the budget that the commissioners prepared. Such an assertion of executive authority is not consistent with the charter or with the defined legislative role of the assembly.
Because our charter represents a cumulative amalgam of many changes over the years since its adoption, it includes a number of now outdated references, including the old “advisory board for county expenditures,” with more limited authority under the state laws concerning most counties. Our home rule charter needs these old references cleaned up, which is the purpose of the proposed changes.
Question #6 seeks to amend the fiscal provisions of the county charter to explicitly “authorize the assembly of delegates to increase, decrease, add or omit items to the annual budget proposed by the board of regional commissioners.” The charter would be further amended to “authorize any member of the assembly of delegates, or the board of regional commissioners, to introduce a request for a supplemental appropriation ordinance after the adoption of the county’s fiscal year operating budget, while requiring those ordinances to provide the specific means for defraying the appropriations therein contained.” These changes do not confer new authority but rather make explicit existing roles.
The commissioners have used the old language repeatedly to mount costly legal challenges to the role of the assembly.
These charter changes are vital to restore the checks and balances essential to good government by clarifying how the assembly carries out its duties. A “Yes” vote will allow county government to work without regularly consulting expensive legal counsel — because the rules will be clear. It will improve collaborative problem-solving so Barnstable County government can make progress on issues Cape residents care about, including housing and water quality.
These charter changes have been endorsed by the assembly delegates from Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich, as well as by me. Please vote “Yes” on Question #6.
Brian O’Malley is Provincetown’s member of the Barnstable Assembly of Delegates.
