BIDDEFORD — The Charter Revision Commission is gearing up for a public hearing Thursday night on the commission’s 30 proposed changes to the city charter, which will go to voters on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The commission presented its six-question ballot to officials at the July 19 City Council meeting. Proposed changes to the charter involve residency requirements for both the mayor and the school superintendent, powers of the mayor and City Council, and the elimination of the police and fire commissions.

On Thursday, the public will be able to voice their support for, or concerns with, the proposed changes, and offer additional ones to the commission as they see fit.

Charter Revision Commission Chairman Paul Therrien said he believes the public will largely support the proposed changes.

“I think the public so far … is responding positively, because they’re seeing we have done some things that have needed to be done because the charter was outdated or did not reflect the needs of the city,” Therrien said.

Therrien said any new ideas put forth by the public on Thursday would be reviewed by the commission and run through Corporation Counsel if deemed necessary.

Although scheduled for weeks, the public hearing comes on the heels of a heated City Council meeting, during which Councilor Rick Laverriere blasted Therrien for offering voters a bundled package of questions rather than individual ballot questions for each of the 30 proposed changes to the charter.

“People should have the right to vote for individual questions, and if they don’t, it’s a disservice to this community,” Laverriere said at the July 19 meeting. “That’s a total disservice to the city, of people not voting for every question, and if that’s going to stay, I’m going to push very hard to have everything voted down.”

Therrien said the commission elected to go with a bundled six-question ballot because its members did not like the idea of putting forth a one-question ballot to voters, despite being designated by state law to do so.

According to Maine Revised Statutes MRSA Title 30-A, 2105, voters are to be asked in one question if they approve all changes recommended by a charter commission for revisions to city charters.

“They do not like the idea of one question,” Therrien said, referring to the commission. “They prefer the four to five questions. That’s what the majority of the group appears to be heading is in that direction, so that’s why we have the ballot we do.”

Modifications or amendments to city charters may be presented as separate questions to voters if the purpose of the commission is not for revisions alone. However, Biddeford’s commission is comprised of individuals elected specifically to revise the charter.

When asked if he thought the commission was going against state law by offering six bundles of questions on November’s ballot, Therrien responded, “I don’t think so.”

“I think the Legislature would say they used their judgment for what is best for their community,” he said.

Although the commission has decided to offer multiple questions, Therrien said he still does not believe putting forth each of the 30 proposed changes to voters is the best method.

“(Laverriere is) standing firm on his position that we are doing the community a disservice by not allowing each and every question to be individually on the ballot so people can vote on each and every one,” Therrien said. “I have heard that people don’t agree with that.”

Laverriere did not return a request for comment on Tuesday.

Therrien said he believes the public’s input is crucial as the commission enters its final phases of designing the November ballot.

“The people are developing faith in us because we are the ones who have studied this for over 300 man hours, we opened it up to the public and we reviewed at least 11 other city charters,” Therrien said. “They trust us.”

The public hearing will take place during the Charter Revision Commission’s regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located on the second floor of City Hall.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or [email protected].