Date: Fri 24-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

charter-revision-at-large

Full Text:

Charter Panel Asked To Reconsider At-Large Council Seats

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

If Greg Bunger has his way, Legislative Council candidates will soon run for

office on an at-large basis, rather than by district. At least some of them.

Last month, Mr Bunger was the lone member of the Charter Revision Commission

to vote against a motion to continue having candidates run as representatives

of Newtown's three districts. However, there could be a change of heart for

some members who have decided to hear Mr Bunger out.

First, he proposed the commission reconsider its earlier vote to continue

district elections, which was approved unanimously. Then he lowered the boom,

calling for three council members from each district be elected by district

and three members be elected at large. He also suggested that no more than

two-out-of-three members from each district be from the same party and no more

than two-out-of-three of those elected at large be from the same party.

Mr Bunger said this process would reserve minority representation by limiting

the majority party to a maximum of 8 of 12 available seats. Currently, there

are nine Republicans and three Democrats on the Legislative Council.

His motion was seconded by Jim Smith, but Stan Karpacz requested to hold off

on any vote pending further discussion.

Earlier this week, Mr Bunger said he was not sure how the Charter Revision

Commission would vote on his motion. He was hoping his hand was not the only

one going up in its favor.

Mae Schmidle, the commission's vice chairman, said the issue has been

discussed before by other charter commission boards and it has never been

changed. She expects it will not be revised this time either.

"We've been down this road before," she said Tuesday.

Others who have spoken in favor of having council members elected at-large

include Jack Rosenthal, who said members rarely deal with issues affecting

individual districts, and Democratic Town Committee Chairman Earl J. Smith,

who said his party has, at times, had difficulty recruiting candidates from

certain districts.

Overall, the current Legislative Council has appeared split on the issue

during past discussions.

Last week, the board also met with its attorney, Catherine Thompson,

requesting she review the Charter to define the powers of the Board of

Selectmen. The charter revisionists must still determine whether or not the

town should give back authority to the Board of Selectmen, or do away with the

board and have a first selectman/council form of government. A proposal to

create a town manager's position was voted down last November.

The commission has not yet taken any votes on any more of the 18 proposed

charter revisions by the Legislative Council, but Chairman Mike Snyder made an

attempt last week, proposing a change the length of some terms of office be

moved for discussion, though no motion was made.

The commission meets every Thursday at 7:30 pm in the Old Meeting Room in

Edmond Town Hall. Public comment is welcome.