Let’s Vote On Whether Budget Votes Should Be Split

(The following open letter to the Charter Revision Commission has been received for publication.)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Charter Revision Commission:

Thank you for the time and dedication you have demonstrated toward reviewing the matter of bifurcation of the ballot and advisory questions. As a member of the constituency that you represent, I would like to share my views on the public’s right to vote.

 1. In the charter the BOF is designated to address the budget as two separate entities: town and BOE and as such, these discussions take place in public. The charter, by its design has bifurcated the budget.

 2. For the 12 years I have resided in Newtown, the budget discussions have pitted the town budget against the BOE budget, and then merged the two as one on the budget referendum, expecting the public to ignore months of contentious dialogue. (This year’s included a vote of lack of faith in the BOE’s budgetary abilities by the BOF and the RTC in very public sessions.)

3. This past budget season demonstrated an inability of the Legislative Council to interpret the will of the constituency based on the outcome of the referendum. Indeed, dialogue before and after each failed referendum returned to the BOF format of addressing two entities: town and BOE individually then merging once again into one budget for vote.

4. The CRC has received input from the first selectwoman, Legislative Council, Board of Finance, and Board of Education regarding their opinion of bifurcation, both on the record and off. Their views reflect keeping the status quo. Let’s keep doing the same thing.

Definition of insanity: Repeating a behavior and expecting a different outcome.

5. You have all received CCM’s report on bifurcation in municipalities. Having read it myself I wonder how this information played a role in your decisionmaking.

Finally, reflect on the answer you gave during the interviewing process to be seated on the CRC: “What is your opinion of bifurcation?” Has your research challenged your thinking or opinion? Only you know the answer.

Now for my request as a member of the community you represent: Place before the public a referendum to determine whether the budget should be bifurcated. Determining whether a budget referendum should/should not be bifurcated is up to those individuals whose personal finances support the town, not the individual boards and commission who are recipients of that money.

Respectfully,

Karen C. Pierce

10 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                   November 24, 2010