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Charter Review Committee voted unanimously to tighten the residency standard for town meeting members and replace outdated warrant-publication language at its March 24 meeting.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.