Princeton voters may soon get the chance to weigh in on potential changes to the city’s newly adopted charter.

Councilmembers discussed holding a charter amendment election at the Monday, April 14 regular meeting, though they delayed a decision on how best to proceed. The council is considering whether to appoint a commission to draft proposed amendments or allow residents to petition directly for an election.

Following a presentation by City Attorney Grant Lowry, councilmembers opted to wait until their next meeting to decide on a path forward. The city is reviewing 56 potential amendments to the charter, which voters approved in May 2023. Lowry said the city must decide by Aug. 18 whether to hold an election on Nov. 4, though it could also wait until the next uniform election date in May 2025.

State law requires a two-year waiting period after adopting a charter before cities can vote on amendments, Lowry said. However, Princeton’s timeline lines up with the Nov. 4 election date.

Councilmember Ben Long asked whether there was enough time to meet that deadline. Lowry responded that while it’s possible, it would require lots of meetings in a short amount of time. Councilmember Ryan Gerfers, who served on the original charter commission, echoed the concern, adding that the process “takes a lot of time.”

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By John Kanelis | [email protected]