Billerica Charter Review panel flags outdated newspaper notice rules, vacancy gaps

BILLERICA — November 6, 2025 — Billerica's Charter Review Committee advanced through elected-office and fiscal-procedures sections Thursday, surfacing several provisions members say are outdated or no longer followed in practice. Meeting with a representative from town counsel present, the committee flagged charter language in multiple sections — including School Committee budget notice rules and the independent-audit provision — that members said have fallen into disuse, and debated replacing all references to "local newspaper" publication with a broader "local news medium" definition to accommodate digital notice. Members also noted that the 5 percent signature threshold to trigger a townwide referendum has not been adjusted since the charter was written, even as the number of registered voters has roughly doubled from around 15,000 to approximately 30,000. No formal votes were taken; the committee agreed to compile a written list of questions for town counsel and scheduled its next meeting for the following Wednesday.