Council Should Finalize Charter Revisions Before November Elections

By John Voket

If November elections bring a drastically different political cast to Newtown’s leading boards and commissions, the work of the Charter Revision Commission and current Legislative Council members to affect modifications to the town’s constitutional document should remain intact. According to a memo sent by Town Clerk Cynthia Simon to council Chairman Will Rodgers July 13, the filing of a final draft of the proposed revisions one day earlier initiated a time clock that would expire no later than October 25.

By that date, the council must approve or disapprove the revised charter. Local elections are scheduled to take place 12 days later on Tuesday, November 6, and several current council members who will have an opportunity to act on the charter will be replaced at that time because they have already determined they will not, or likely will not, seek another term.

The timetable issued by Ms Simon has six specific references tied to the processes of eventually bringing the proposed charter revisions to voters for consideration. Determining the date voters will accept or reject revisions will be up to the current council members, even though that deadline — November 24 — comes after municipal elections.

The timeline of actions on the charter revision process, based on the charter commission’s July 12 filing of its final proposed changes, plays out as follows:

No later than August 26, the council shall hold at least one public hearing on the draft report.

Within 15 days of the council’s final hearing on proposed charter revisions, the council must make recommendations for further changes to the Charter Revision Commission. If no changes or recommendations to the draft are filed, the report becomes final at that 15-day mark.

That action cannot occur later than September 10.

In the event the charter panel makes further changes to the document, it must report those final changes within 30 days — October 10 being the latest possible date for that action.

As mentioned, the council must then approve or reject the revised charter no later than October 25.

Within 30 days after council approval, and no later than November 24, the revised charter must be published in full at least once in a newspaper having a general circulation in the community.

Concurrently, by that date, the council must, by vote of its entire membership, determine when the revised charter shall be submitted to electors.

That date shall not be more than 15 months after the date of the council’s final approval.

Council Chairman Rodgers told The Bee July 19 that Charter Revision Commission Chairman Al Cramer asked the revised charter be voted upon at either the 2008 budget referendum or the 2008 general election in November.

But Mr Rodgers said he was planning to recommend the revisions go before the voters in May versus in the fall.

“The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned,” Mr Rodgers said.