Selectmen Offer Their Opinions On Charter Issues

By Steve Bigham

The Board of Selectmen recently met with the Charter Revision Commission to discuss the future of the selectmen as they currently operate under the town charter.

The current roles of the selectmen and first selectman have been a favorite topic for the charter panel thus far. Its chairman, Bill Sheluck, has stated on several occasions that the first selectman has little authority as Newtown’s chief elected officer. And, as current selectmen Joe Bojnowski and Bill Brimmer point out, the lack of power carries over to the Board of Selectmen.

Mr Bojnowski views the Board of Selectmen like a cabinet and feels the board’s meetings every other week are an ideal forum for discussion among selectmen and for comments from the public. However, he believes the selectmen have very little power, particularly when it comes to the town’s finances. Nevertheless, he would like to see the selectmen form of government remain intact.

Mr Brimmer agrees, pointing out that three heads are better than one.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said the current Board of Selectmen operates by consensus. He said he has no strong feelings either way on keeping or eliminating the board. He would like to see a stronger first selectman, though, pointing out that the Legislative Council should not be able to initiate special appropriations as the charter now allows. The charter diminishes the power of the Board of Selectmen by prohibiting the transfer of funds between departments and by allowing the transfer of funds within a department of no more than $3,000, Mr Rosenthal said.

The first selectman believes the council should be 7-9 members. However, if the charter were changed so that the council powers were reduced, and it became a smaller Board of Finance, then he recommends a five-member Board of Selectmen.

Mr Rosenthal added that a streamlined government would allow the town to accomplish more in a shorter period of time. He also suggested that the ambiguities in the charter be eliminated and that the charter should be clearer on what the council and selectmen can and cannot do. The selectmen should be defined as the executive and legislative branches and the council should be defined as the financial branch.

The first selectman supported the idea of giving the first selectman veto power over the Legislative Council.

The selectmen indicated that they disagree with the current charter wording that allows the council to increase the budget given to it by the selectmen. The council should only be allowed to reduce it, they said.

Finance Director Ben Spragg, who has advocated the elimination of the Board of Selectmen and the creation of a Board of Finance, was slated to meet with the Charter Revision Commission this week.