The charter was drafted over the course of 2 years by a charter commission created in 2008 that had 6 members elected by the public and 3 members appointed by the County Commissioners. There were previous unsuccessful attempts to create a charter in Cumberland County in 1982 and 2003. Read more about the history of the charter.
What Is a Charter?
A charter is the defining document of how a body of government:
Selects officers, officials and employees
Establishes departments, agencies and boards
In addition to Cumberland County, Aroostook and Knox counties also have charters. A charter commission creates the opportunity to inspect and propose changes to the current structure.
New District Map
On March 14th, 2011, the County Commissioners voted to accept the new district map proposed by the charter commission, increasing the number of districts and County Commissioners from 3 to 5 starting with the November 2011 election.