Charter Commission public hearings scheduled

pWATERTOWN — City residents will get their first crack on Wednesday night at expressing their views about the proposed Charter Commission changes./ppAfter meeting twice a month for 14 months, the city’s 10-member Charter Commission came back two weeks ago to recommend that the city should keep a city manager form of government./ppThe first of three public hearings will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the third-floor council chambers at City Hall, 245 Washington St./ppTwo other public hearings will be held at 7 p.m. July 18 at the Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County, 518 Davidson St., and at 6 p.m. July 23 at the Italian American Civic Association, 192 Bellew Ave./ppThe public’s views about the commission’s findings could have some bearing on the controversial results in the recent mayoral primary that ended with candidates Allison I. Crossman and Councilman Cody J. Horbacz each receiving 597 votes. Former Councilman Jeffrey M. Smith had the most votes with 837./ppIt’s unclear how the race will be decided in November because the City Charter doesn’t address ties in mayoral races and the Jefferson County Board of Election hasn’t been able to resolve the issue./p