Billerica Charter Panel Tightens Residency Rule for Town Meeting Members

BILLERICA — March 24, 2026 — Billerica's Charter Review Committee voted unanimously to tighten the residency standard for town meeting members and replace outdated warrant-publication language at its March 24 meeting. The committee amended Section 2.6(B)(1) to read that a town meeting member "who no longer has a primary residence in the town shall forthwith cease to be a town meeting member," substituting the legally ambiguous word "resides" after members recounted a past incident in which the town clerk ruled a challenged representative eligible partly because his car was registered in Billerica. "I don't care if you're going to register at this address — your house is not there, you're not voting out of that residency," one member said. The committee also voted unanimously to delete the current Section 2.12(J) warrant-publication language and substitute wording proposed by town counsel, aiming to resolve terminology inconsistencies between the charter and town bylaws. Two members — Dawn and Grace — were absent; a structurally sensitive item Grace had asked be held for full attendance remained tabled. Town counsel is scheduled to attend the committee's next session.