Election 2023 results: Reading voters eliminate license requirement for city public works director

Reading voters have decided to eliminate a City Charter requirement that the public works director be a state registered professional civil engineer.

A referendum question asking voters if they were in favor of change passed easily. A total of 4,247 voters cast “yes” ballots and 2,336 voted “no.”

The charter will be amended to require that the city designate as city engineer a public works employee who is a state registered professional civil engineer. The difference is that the individual appointed as city engineer won’t need to be the same individual serving as public works director.

A similar referendum failed in 2021.

“It gives the city more flexibility,” City Solicitor Fred Lachat said at a meeting last month. “And at the same time, it doesn’t prevent the city from hiring someone who has a professional engineer license to be the public works director. It just eliminates that requirement.”

Source: Berkshire mont