HURLOCK — The Hurlock Citizens Association, formed in 2014, bristles at the accusation that they are “troublemakers.” “Not so,” they say. The group bases its activities on their belief that “good citizenship and civic responsibility begin at home! We take an active role at Town and County Council Meetings, and we share that information among members ... We continually monitor the actions of those we’ve elected to public office, and we never hesitate to call to their attention any measure they take that appears to not be in the best interest of the citizens they serve.” At the April 25 Hurlock Town Council meeting the association presented the culmination of months of discussion, research, and meetings with town officials. A major project, the town’s drinking water quality, was conducted by Secretary Claudia Fahey and Treasurer Jack Lewis and results presented at the meeting. In a letter addressed to each council member, Association officers enumerated concerns with the town charter, lack of a council president, the Open Meetings Act, and ethical considerations. Problem with the charter arose during the last election cycle when the Association realized that all copies of the charter were not created equal. There were missing sections and outdated information in each copy received either by citizens. And they were all different. Trying to organize the town charter by collecting the disparate parts into one document has been frustrating. At the April 25 meeting chairperson Patricia Finley said, “I have a present for the council. I’m not sure you’re going to appreciate it. She then distributed notebooks to each council member containing copies of Administrator John Avery’s official version of the charter. Ms. Finley’s letter said, “The Town Charter is like a blueprint to guide and build a prosperous municipal community ... There has been a fair amount of confusion over what the charter says or does not say, since the revised version has not been printed and distributed.” She feels citizens and town officials do not know what regulations/guidelines are in effect. The Association wants the council to review the charter for revisions, hold public meetings for citizen input, and reinstate the role of council president suggesting that the position is as important to town government “as having a Speaker for the House in Congress.” Several thousand dollars was paid a few years ago to codify the charter but the job was never completed. Ethics is a major concern for the group. First, they cite a “lack of proper legal notice given for the Sept. 9, 2015 special meeting advertised as a blinking light/traffic issue when it was also about the (proposed) marijuana business” for the Industrial Park. A second area of concern is “Joe Spratt’s employment with the Town of Hurlock in the maintenance department and reportedly his promotion to a supervisory position.” HCA cites his post as “nepotism” since he is married to Mayor Joyce Spratt. Ms. Finley’s letter refers to MD Public Ethics Law: Conflicts of Interest: Sections 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 that states: “An employee or official may not participate in a matter in which he/she has an interest (applies to relatives). Includes any discussion, advising or deciding of the matter and requires disclosure of the conflict. An official or employee may not hold any employment relationship that would impair his or her impartiality or independence of judgment. An official or employee may not intentionally use the prestige of his or her office for personal gain or that of another.” Ms. Finley suggests appointing an Ethics Committee to avoid these types of issues by developing policies and procedures for officials and employees to adhere to. Signatories to the letter include: Chairperson, Patricia Finley; Co-Chair, Frank Bittner; Secretary, Claudia Fahey; Treasurer, Jack Lewis; Chaplain, Paul Bovancovich; and former councilman Christopher Adams.