Auburn may approve new charter Thursday

City officials will hold a second — and final — public hearing on the updated charter prior to a work session at 7 p.m. The first hearing was held March 5. The council voted 3-1 at that meeting to approve the updated charter.

Council member Sally Brown voted against the new charter due to a section which would allow the city to take on bonded debt without a vote of its citizens. Language was put in the Auburn charter in 1997 that had limited the town’s ability to issue debt without first holding a public vote.

Mayor Linda Blechinger contended at the meeting that such a restriction should never have been put in the charter and she was opposed to holding another referendum to address the matter.

No citizens spoke against the proposed charter changes at last week’s council meeting.

Previously, city attorney Jack Wilson said there is a need for revitalization in the downtown area, a move the town’s new Downtown Development Authority could undertake by obtaining bonds to fund the downtown project.