Since being appointed by the Paxton Selectboard in January 2025, members of the Charter Review Committee have met with more than 240 town employees, members of town commissions and boards, and town residents to help lay the groundwork to create Paxton’s Town Charter. “The Town Charter is the Town’s Constitution,” explains CRC Chair Steven Rebesco during an interview in early August. “It is the guiding blueprint of how we operate as a town.”

Some residents point to a document created in 2013 as the Town Charter. However, Rebesco explains, “Nowhere in that document is the word charter. Nor was it ever recognized by the state as a charter. That document is a job description for the then-town administrator.”

The CRC reached out to the Massachusetts State Archives, which is under Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office, and asked if there was any record of a charter for Paxton. “The state archivist couldn’t find anything,” says Rebesco.

Without a charter to guide Paxton’s governance, Rebesco says the town would be at the mercy of the state. “So, you’re stuck with whatever the state government tells you that you have to do. As opposed to you creating what is unique and specific to your community’s needs. It also gives no resident the power or input into the definition of what governance should be and how they hold accountable the elected or appointed officials, department heads, etc.”

From its initial meetings, the CRC broke down its work into three parts: Information gathering, using that information to create the charter’s first draft, and then meeting with everyone they spoke with during the first phase to present that draft to them for their feedback and thoughts. 

Gary Goldberg, an attorney and member of the CRC, says that through all their 58 meetings, they have asked for ideas from town residents and employees as to what is important to them regarding governance of the town. “We’re taking that feedback and we’re going to utilize as much of that as we can in the building of the charter,” says Goldberg.

The draft subcommittee, of which Goldberg is a member, began working on the draft in July. Once they have a document that the committee is comfortable with, “Then we’re going to share that draft with the stakeholders that we met with,” says Goldberg, “get any additional feedback that we may have missed, and present that to the Selectboard – hopefully by the end of the year.”

“To a person,” says Rebesco, “we feel we will not rush just to get it done. We will do the proper diligence in the meticulous execution of our plan. Only when we feel it’s right and all the steps have been successfully completed, and we feel the town has an excellent understanding and we have a consensus will we then put it out to the Town Meeting.”

Members of the CRC also recognize the importance of looping in State Representative Kim Ferguson and State Senator Peter Durant to make sure the language and format are compliant with state requirements. “What we don’ t want to do,” says Rebesco, “is get all the way to the Town Meeting, have everything passed, send it to the state, but have it bounced back because of language or content issues.”

Goldberg and Rebesco, who have each lived in town for a number of years, have served on several town committees and admit that the CRC has been the most time consuming. “Our approach is recognized by people we met with as being very inclusive and collaborative,” says Rebesco. “And we need to continue to march to that as a foundation piece of our approach and execution.”

And they both understand the historical impact of the document that will be created. “Never have I worked on a more important and critical and community-impacting initiative than this,” says Rebesco.

On August 13, Rebesco submitted his letter of resignation from the CRC effective August 15 due to personal reasons. The CRC met on August 25 and elected David Johnson, a town resident for 36 years, as chair and Goldberg as vice chair. Also discussed were plans for a community event to be held on October 25. “This is an opportunity to bring town committees together” says Meaghan Puglisi, who handles communication for the CRC, “and have a fun, social, networking event.” It will also be an opportunity for town committees to explain what they do to Paxton’s residents and to recruit new members. Wachusett Free Press will publish more details as they become available.

The CRC currently has two vacancies. If you want to be involved with creating Paxton’s Town Charter, you can apply to be on the committee through the town website. You must be a town resident and not currently serving on any other town commissions or boards to avoid questions of influence or impropriety.