NO THANKS?: A citizen-led police oversight board and allowing noncitizens to vote are just two of the controversial issues Burlington residents must decide on for Town Meeting Day.

Burlington residents are out deciding six initiatives put to them on Town Meeting Day, including such hot-button topics as a citizen-led police oversight board and allowing voters to draft their own ordinances to put on the ballot.

Since the six issues are proposed charter changes, any approved measures would have to get additional approval from the Vermont Legislature and the governor.

Increased oversight of the police

The citizen-led police oversight ballot initiative, Article 7,  is supported by many liberal-leaning organizations, including Ben & Jerry’s, the ACLU of Vermont, Migrant Justice, and more. Critics have argued that citizen-run police oversight has not been tried elsewhere and strips the police chief of his key role in disciplinary action. Proponents say it will help get rid of bad cops. Mayor Miro Weinbeger and Democratic councilors are opposed.

Letting noncitizens vote in local elections

Another controversial item, Article 4, involves letting legal residents of the city vote in local elections despite being noncitizens. This effort was previously voted down by City Council, but it’s widely expected to pass this time. Montpelier and Winooski have already passed such measures, which became law after the Vermont General Assembly approved them over the objections and vetoes of Gov. Phil Scott. Scott objected that a town-by-town approach to noncitizen voting would create an inconsistent election policy statewide.

Currently, a federal law passed in 1996 states that non-U.S. citizens are prohibited from participating in all federal elections.

Ranked choice voting

Another item, Article 6, is ranked choice voting for local elections. This new voting system asks voters to choose more than one candidate for office and rank them. In ranked choice elections, if no candidate wins a majority of all votes cast, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated and those votes are then distributed to candidates listed as a second preference. This process repeats until one candidate wins a majority of votes.

Changing how public referendums are done

Another controversial ballot initiative, Article 8, would allow citizens to bypass city council and draft their own ordinances to be put on the ballot for voters to decide.

Redistricting

Article 3 aims to keep city’s current composition of eight wards and four districts, with some boundary changes affecting the city’s East and Central districts, and smaller changes elsewhere. The city votes each decade on redistricting.

Polling locations for elections

Article 5 is largely considered a part of the redistricting efforts, and would make requirements concerning the physical location of polling places and where residents can most easily access them.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.