Somerville’s proposed charter had a rocky path before arriving to Nov. 4 ballot as two questions

Marc Levy A voter casts a ballot Sept. 16 at the John F. Kennedy School in Somerville.

Somervillians vote on a revamped city charter in the Nov. 4 election through two ballot questions: whether the city should adopt the changes; and whether to extend mayoral terms to four years from two, likely taking effect at the 2028 election.

The current charter, the city’s constitutional document, was created upon Somerville’s founding in 1871, with amendments following in 1899. Several changes have been proposed and passed since, including adopting gender-neutral language in 2022.

Somerville’s proposed charter change keeps the city’s basic structure: a mayor-council government, a council with 11 members – four at-large and seven ward representatives – and School Committee with seven ward-based se