Explanatory Text Charter Revision Questions

The following five questions appear on the ballot for approval or disapproval. A brief explanation of these five questions appears below:

 

Question 1.

Shall the Charter of the Town of Newtown be amended to adopt the revisions proposed by the Charter Revision Commission and approved by the Legislative Council, exclusive of the four following proposed revisions rejected by the Legislative Council which are being voted on separately today?

A yes vote on Question 1 would result in the following changes:

– Elimination of the Board of Selectmen and creation of a single executive officer of the Town, the First Selectman.

– Invest the First Selectman with veto power over special appropriations and the annual Town budget, excluding the Board of Education budget, as approved by the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council would have the power to override the First Selectman’s veto with a two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire Legislative Council.

– Require the First Selectman to create a long-term Strategic Plan for the Town and to update it annually in the “State of the Town” report.

– Limit initiation of requests for special appropriations to the First Selectman or the Board of Education. The Legislative Council would no longer have the power to initiate requests for special appropriations. The limits on the Legislative Council’s authority to approve special and emergency appropriations would be increased from $150,000 to $500,000. Appropriations over $500,000 would continue to require approval by a special Town meeting. Regardless of monetary amount, if a requested appropriation exceeds five percent of the annual Town budget, a referendum would be required.

Question 2.

Shall the Charter of the Town of Newtown be amended to create a Board of Finance consisting of six members elected at large for two-year terms?

A yes vote on Question 2 would result in the following changes:

– Create a six-member Board of Finance whose members would be elected at large for two-year terms.

– Change the present budget process by requiring the Selectman’s budget (Town operating budget) and Board of Education budget be submitted to the Board of Finance, which would be empowered to make any changes deemed to be appropriate and pass the revised budget to the Legislative Council for approval. The Legislative Council can increase these budgets with a two-thirds vote of the entire Legislative Council, and it may reduce these budgets on a vote of a majority of the members present and voting. The First Selectman can veto the budget as passed by the Legislative Council and the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the entire Legislative Council.

Question 3.

Shall the Charter of the Town of Newtown be amended to provide for a mandatory second referendum on the annual budget (as opposed to a town meeting) if the first referendum rejects the budget?

A yes vote on Question 3 would result in the following change:

– Require a second referendum if the proposed budget is defeated in the first referendum. The present Charter provides for only one mandatory referendum and then the budget goes to a Town meeting with a provision for a referendum by petition.

Question 4.

Shall the Charter of the Town of Newtown be amended to grant the First Selectman authority to veto ordinances adopted by the Legislative Council subject to the authority of the Legislative Council to override such veto by a two-thirds vote of the entire membership?

A yes vote on Question 4 would result in the following change:

– Allow the First Selectman to veto ordinances passed by the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council would be empowered to override the First Selectman’s veto by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire Legislative Council.

Question 5.

Shall the Charter of the Town of Newtown be amended to provide that the First Selectman, with or without cause, may dismiss any employee of the town and remove any officer or member of any appointed board or commission (except as otherwise provided by statute) with any such dismissed or removed person having the right to appeal the dismissal or removal to the full legislative council?

A yes vote on Question 5 would result in the following changes:

– Change the authority to dismiss from the Board of Selectmen to the First Selectman.

–Remove the “for cause” language.

–Require a two-thirds vote of the Legislative Council to overrule the decision, as opposed to a majority vote as required in the existing Charter.