‘Yes’ Votes Urged –

Authors Of Revised Charter Say It’s Now, Or Maybe Never

By Steve Bigham

The Charter Revision Commission is making a last-ditch effort to get its proposed changes to the town charter approved November 6. Despite taking hits at almost every turn, the board remains standing, determined to see its efforts through.

On Monday, members spoke at the annual Pizza & Politics event, outlining their reasons for recommending such significant changes. The board has proposed: the creation of a Board of Finance, the elimination of the Board of Selectmen, and a stronger first selectman. It has also made several smaller changes and worked hard to clean up some of the wording of the town charter.

Already opposed by some, the charter amendments were dealt a severe blow this fall when it was learned that its proposed changes – if approved – would have to go into effect 30 days after the election. That was not the original intent of the commission, however, an “effective date” was mistakenly left off the proposal.

The omission added confusion to what was already a controversial issue. If approved, the new charter would require Board of Selectmen members to step down from their posts. It would also require the first selectman to appoint six members to what would be the newly created Board of Finance. The charter proposal has become stigmatized by the controversy surrounding it and some fear it may not pass.

Last week, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal urged residents to reject the charter changes and suggested that the Legislative Council recommission the board next year. This week, candidate Owen Carney agreed, as did selectmen Joe Bojnowski and Bill Brimmer.

“A ‘no’ vote on the questions and reappointment of the commission as recommended by The Bee is the best option to accomplish that objective,” Mr Rosenthal said. “That commission will be charged with making appropriate modifications to the current proposals so that they can be put on the ballot for the 2002 election, to be effective in 2003 as everyone had intended.”

The Charter Revision Commission refutes that plan, saying there is no guarantee that the commission will ever be recommissioned. The time to vote “yes” is now, members say.

Charter Revision Commission Chairman Bill Sheluck opened Monday’s presentation as the audience was getting its coffee after listening to the first selectman candidates. The crowd finally settled down in time to hear from the man who has spearheaded more than a year’s work on the document that describes how Newtown governs itself.

“We intended to put forward the best form of government for Newtown going forward, and I think we’ve done that,” he said, pointing out that a technical error does not change the merits of the proposal. “If you really believe that changes need to take place, then you really need to vote `yes’ on all five questions.”

Commission member Mike Floros said the proposed elimination of the Board of Selectmen is based on the idea that the first selectman in Newtown needs to be more accountable. This will simplify the decision-making process and allow voters to hold the first selectman accountable for all decisions, he said.

Member Al Cramer said a Board of Finance and a stronger first selectman would provide for a better checks and balances within the government.

“We found that the current charter gave the first selectman very little authority and the Legislative Council lots of authority,” he said. “The executive branch is totally out of the picture at budget time.”

Under the Charter Revision Commission’s plan, the annual town budget would first be submitted to the Board of Finance by the first selectman. That board could increase or decrease the proposed budget before sending it on to the Legislative Council for final approval. The council would be empowered to accept and/or decrease the budget, but not increase it. Lastly, the first selectman could veto the council’s budget if he or she sees fit. That vote could be overridden by the council with eight votes. A vetoed budget would then revert back to the original budget submitted by the Board of Finance and then sent on to a referendum.

 In August, the Legislative Council rejected many of the proposed charter changes. The Charter Revision Commission then petitioned the proposed changes onto the November 6 ballot, collecting signatures from 1,900 Newtown residents.