SACO — Residents of Saco approved six changes to the city’s charter in Tuesday’s election.

A charter change that will change the City Council member’s terms to three-year, staggered terms was approved by voters 5,103 to 3,632.

Currently, city councilors and the mayor have two-year terms, and are up for re-election in odd-numbered years. After a transition period, terms would be staggered in a three-year cycle, with wards 1, 3 and 5 up for election the first year, wards 4 and 5 up for re-election the second year and wards 2 and 7 and the mayor up for re-election in the third year.

Residents voted 5,790 to 3,002 to have the mayor preside over the school board. The mayor at one time presided over the school board, but the practice stopped after the city joined Regional School Unit 23 in 2009. The city left the school unit in 2014 and created its own, single municipality school department.

Residents voted 5,370 to 3,062 to revise the charter to reorganize city departments.

Residents voted 5,822 to 2,621 to clarify the charter regarding the publication of public notices and public hearings on the budget. The change eliminates language that requires the city to publish a proposed budget summary in a newspaper within two weeks after the proposal is submitted to the City Council, and keeps language requiring a proposed budget summary be published 14 days prior to a budget public hearing.

Voters approved 6,022 to 2,561 to change language in the charter so that it is gender neutral.

A measure that will require regularly scheduled budget meetings between the City Council and school board passed 6,341 to 2,111.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 780-9015 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.

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