Date: Fri 23-Feb-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

charter-council-school-board

Full Text:

w/photo: Council Members Urge Significant Charter Changes

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

The town charter needs significant changes, according to Legislative Council

members who presented their suggestions to the Charter Revision Commission

last week.

Nine of the 12 council members attended the meeting in the Old Courtroom at

Edmond Town Hall last Thursday evening. Those who spoke often singled out

election of the Board of Education as one charter area that should be changed.

"If you want to get someone off the Board of Education it is almost

impossible," Council Chairman Joseph Mahoney said. "When you go into the

polling place, the candidates are already elected."

Under the existing system, school board candidates are selected by nominating

committees of the Republican and Democratic town committees, who seldom

nominate more than one candidate for each position. Since the charter requires

an equal representation of the two parties on the six-member board, unopposed

candidates are guaranteed a seat.

"My idea of choice is not 50 people on a town committee in a town of 22,000,"

Mr Mahoney said.

Several council members said the Board of Education should be elected for

two-year terms, like town government, rather than the existing four-year

terms.

"Why do Board of Education members get elected for four years - I don't see

any reason for it at all," Council Vice Chairman Melissa Pilchard said. "You

lose touch if you don't get out to talk to the voters more often."

Republican Council member Joseph Borst, who was one of the few candidates in

recent years to run for a contested seat on the school board, recommended that

the board should be made up of an uneven number such as five, seven or nine.

But Councilman Jack Rosenthal disagreed. "An odd number could result in a

politicized board," he said. "You can have choice if you put up more

candidates."

"Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater," cautioned Charter Revision

Commission member Ruby Johnson, who is a former school board member.

"Increasing numbers makes it difficult to get things done. Why not think

further and take the job away from the town committees?"

The council members were divided on whether school board and council members

should be elected by district or at large. A district system assures

representation for each part of town, but it is often difficult to find

candidates for each district, they said.

Most agreed that terms of office should remain at two years because it gives

the voters an opportunity to quickly remove office holders if they aren't

satisfied. "Remember, there is no recall in the state of Connecticut," Mr

Rosenthal said.

The council members said there should be no term limits because it is often

difficult to find qualified people who will volunteer for boards and

commissions. With two-year terms, the voters have ample opportunity to remove

people from office.

Mr Rosenthal, who served as first selectman for 12 years, spoke for many who

believe the Board of Selectmen should be eliminated and replaced by a first

selectman or mayor with a strong council.

The council members disagreed, however, on the idea of hiring a professional

town manager.

"I feel very strongly that we should have a professional town manager," Mrs

Pilchard said. "If you were hiring a person to run a $40 million company, you

would like to know more than whether that person is honest and nice."

"According to national surveys, the average length of stay for a town manager

is 4« years," Mr Rosenthal said. "Usually it's someone who knows nothing about

your town and wants to move ahead to a bigger town and then a city. I see no

need for a town manager when we have a strong financial officer and a finance

board."

Councilman Pierre Rochman said special appropriations for large capital

projects should be addressed during the annual budget delibrations and no

large capital project should be considered unless a fixed amount - such as 50

percent - is already in a capital fund. Councilman John Kortze said that such

a fund would be beneficial to town's financial rating.

The process of disposing, acquiring or exchanging small pieces of property

should be streamlined.

The council members said the council should be able to transfer more than

$25,000 and appropriate more than $50,000 without having to call a town

meeting. Requests for large amounts, such as more than $2 million, should

automatically go to referendum rather than a town meeting, they said.

The council members also said the budget process should be shortened,

provision should be made for amending the charter, the office of town clerk

should be appointed, and the power to write ordinances should remain with the

council.

The Charter Revision Commission will meet again at 7:30 pm on Thursday,

February 29, in the lower meeting room at Edmond Town Hall. The Board of

Education has been invited to speak at that evening. The meeting will begin

with public participation.