Updated at 9:21 p.m. Burlington voters on Tuesday decisively approved a ballot item that would give the city’s police commission more power in reviewing cases of officer misconduct. The measure, which would change the city’s charter, says the commission would be able to hire an investigator and convene an independent panel if members disagreed with how the police chief planned to discipline officers. The ballot item passed 62.5 percent to 37.5 percent, or 11,398 to 6,847 votes, according to unofficial election results provided by the city. "I am incredibly pleased," Councilor Gene Bergman (P-Ward 2) said on Tuesday evening. "I think that people saw what we proposed and said it was fair and reasonable." The result may settle a question that Burlington officials have been debating for more than four years. But it’s sure to disappoint Burlington police officers, including Chief Jon Murad, who fear it will harm ongoing efforts to restaff the shorthanded department. Murad didn't respond to an interview request. On Tuesday evening, the Burlington Police Officers' Association posted a statement on Facebook saying that they value residents' opinions on the ballot measure but feel their "professional input was disregarded" by city officials. "We believe this question was presented to voters in a fashion that did not afford appropriate analysis to make a truly informed assessment," the union's statement says. "We ... will continue to express our disagreement with this charter change, next at the State level." The measure, which had bipartisan support on the council, still needs approval from the legislature and governor before it can become law in Burlington. [content-8] Voters on Tuesday also approved a $20 million bond for the Burlington Electric Department to use for "net zero energy and grid reliability projects." The item passed 79.6 percent to 20.3 percent, or 14,341 to 3,657 votes, Town Meeting TV reported. The policing proposal is the third effort to enshrine greater oversight into the city charter since 2020, when George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police sparked a nationwide racial reckoning. In Burlington, allegations of excessive force by police led to a proposal in 2020 to create a “control board” with the power to fire officers for misconduct, including the chief. Former mayor Miro Weinberger vetoed the plan, but it resurfaced in 2023 as a ballot item. That, too, was defeated — by almost the same margin as Tuesday's measure passed. The voter-approved proposal seeks to give…