Westport Island residents voted to repeal the town’s budget committee ordinance with 195-175 vote during Nov. 4 polling.
The budget committee ordinance was adopted in November 2007, following a citizens’ petition. The ordinance was amended in June 2012 to allow the selectmen to appoint members to open positions. Previous to the amendment, committee membership was by election only.
In the past few years the committee has not been active because of lack of membership. In the past June elections there were no announced candidates for the committee.
The selectmen attempted to have the budget committee ordinance repealed at the 2014 annual town meeting citing the lack of membership and the ability of the committee to perform the duties reflected in the ordinance.
