Date: Fri 18-Apr-1997

By STEVE BIGHAM

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Council-charter-revision

Full Text:

Panel Set For Final Vote On Charter Changes

The Charter Revision Commission is slated to meet next Wednesday to make its

final decision on its revisions to the town charter.

The hearings are over and the Legislative Council has made its final

recommendations to the charter panel. Now the commission must decide whether

to accept the council's recommendations or go ahead and approve the charter

without further changes.

After last week's public hearing on the proposals, the council voted on each

of the proposed charter revisions made by the Charter Revision Commission.

During the hearing, nearly all the members of the council and the charter

panel were in the same room together, allowing for discussion among members as

to why they voted the way they did.

Acting upon a report filed by an ad hoc committee of the council, the full

council urged the charter panel to reconsider its decision to change the

charter to allow for the removal of the town's finance director without cause.

At the hearing, charter commission member David Chipman said his panel decided

the finance director should not be the only position in the town government

that did not have a limited term. He believed there should be a way to get rid

of the person without showing any cause.

The council voted unanimously to have that revision removed.

Though the Charter Revision Commission never voted to change the charter to

allow for the splitting of the annual town budget (school and town), the

council asked that it reconsider, believing it would give the council a better

feel for how the voters were thinking about each budget.

However, charter member Ruby Johnson said having two budgets could be a

divisive measure, creating a situation where a voter, concerned about one part

of the budget, might avoid his or her responsibility to the other half by

voting against it.

"We don't want to pit the school people against the senior citizens or what

have you," noted Mrs Johnson. She said a vote on the budget should not be used

as a form of communication for the council.

Council members also supported the charter panel's decision to create three

at-large seats on the council. They also agreed to the commission's proposal

to conduct a pre-budget hearing on the fourth Tuesday in February.

After it acts on the charter provisions, the Charter Revision Commission will

send its recommendations back to the council, which will either accept the

recommendations and initiate the process for a townwide vote, or reject any or

all of the charter changes proposed by the commission.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 18-Apr-1997

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