City councillor Patty Nolan, who was crucial to getting a review of Cambridge’s 80-year-old charter, during a 2024 discussion on the subject.. (Photo: Julia Levine)

The November election includes a ballot question asking voters, “Shall an Act Establishing a Charter for the City of Cambridge be accepted?”

What does it mean and what are the implications?

In 2021, voters passed a change to the charter to establish a decennial charter review committee . The City Council chose the membership, and the committee met from August 2022 to January 2024, producing a final report to the City Council . The committee unanimously agreed that Cambridge’s 1940 “Plan E” charter was not written in language of modern charters and ought to be updated; spent substantial time debating whether to recommend

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