Council overrides veto to pass ordinance
Date: 10/10/2012
By Carley Dangona
carley@thereminder.comWEST SPRINGFIELD — The Town Council voted 6 to 3 at its Oct. 1 meeting to overturn Mayor Gregory Neffinger's veto and pass the ordinance, which amends Section 4-101 of the Home Rule Charter (HRC).
The motion refines the appeals process for volunteers of multi-member boards (MMB), allowing them to bring a dispute of removal before the council rather than having to appeal to the mayor — the very person who removed him or her from the MMB.
"I was very pleased that we did override it," Kathleen Bourque, president of the Town Council, said. "[Our objection to the previous method] was a fairness issue with the appeals process."
Neffinger also weighed in on the decision. "The effect is somewhat benign. The chances of another person being removed are pretty remote. On Jan. 1 2013, a major percent of terms will expire. Essentially, what they're [the council] causing is the mayor to let them [the terms] expire," Neffinger said.
"The most important achievement [in this process] is that the Town Council and the mayor had an opportunity to discuss the charter," he continued.
