By Steve Bigham

Do you think the first selectman of Newtown should have more power, say like a mayor? Should the first selectman have veto power? What about a board of finance, created to assist the town’s council mebers in keeping the town’s finance on track? Should Newtown voters have more choices at municipal elections for the Board of Education and other important town boards?

The Charter Revision Commission has been mulling over these questions and many more over the past seven months and has come to consensus on all of them. Next Wednesday night, May 30, Newtown residents will have an opportunity to speak out in favor or in opposition to those proposed amendments at a public hearing at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library conference room. The event begins at 7:30 pm.

Following the hearing, the commission will complete its report and submit it to the council, probably by the end of May.

“If for any reason we learn something new at the hearing which would cause us to review our preliminary recommendations, we certainly will go back and make changes prior to submitting the report to the council,” explained Chairman Bill Sheluck.

The Charter Revision Commission has been in the headlines weekly since first being formed back in October. The creation of the charter board itself made news as the Legislative Council argued over who should and who should not serve on the board and what its charge would be.

But it has been the hard work and innovation of this board that has drawn the most public notice. From the start, Chairman Sheluck made it clear that he wanted to restore a balance of power to Newtown’s form of government, and the commission wasted little time in proposing major changes.

First, the board elected to create a stronger first selectman by giving the position veto power. It also chose to eliminate the Board of Selectmen. There was talk of extending the first selectman’s term of office from two to four years. However, town officials and residents opposed the move.

The commission has also recommended the creation of a board of finance, which would work with the first selectman and council, keeping its fingers on the pulse of town finances 12 months a year.

“We believe the inclusion of a board of finance in both the financial planning of the town and the budget process will be of great assistance to the council when they are working through their final decisions with respect to all financial matters of the town,” Mr Sheluck said.

Criticism has followed the Charter Revision Commission from the start and there is some concern that the Legislative Council might thwart the proposed changes by failing to endorse them. Member Melissa Pilchard has been critical of the commission for its recommendations and last week said the council was completely frustrated with its work.

Not so, say others on the council. Member Joe Borst called the current Charter Revision Commission the best he has ever seen in Newtown and said many of its recommendations could very well help the town operate more efficiently. He supports many of the proposals, including the creation of a board of finance.

“I hope the council members can leave their egos and politics at the door [when it comes time to vote],” Mr Borst said.

Council member Donald Studley called the current Charter Revision Commission the best one to serve since 1975.

“I haven’t read their entire proposal yet, but I certainly feel there is merit in a board of finance. The finance committee of the council has done a very good job, but a board of finance that is responsible for doing just that will do an even better job, especially with planning,” he said. “The finance committee carries a lot of weight. If they come in with a recommendation it is usually approved with very little discussion, rightly or wrongly.”

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said he sees both advantages and disadvantages to a board of finance, but he has concerns about veto power for the first selectman, suggesting that it might provide more conflict between the selectman and council.

“But others say it does away with conflict because you realize you have to work with each other. It would foster cooperation. I was concerned that it might create conflict. I suppose you could look at it either way,” he said.

Mrs Pilchard is adamant in her opposition to the commission’s proposals and believes critics of the plan should have an opportunity to refute the charter panel’s arguments wherever it goes.

“Anywhere they go, there should be a council member there to rebut them,” she said. “If somebody tells you that a chair has three legs and no one is there to tell you that’s not the case, you may believe it. I find that very troublesome,” she said. “These people have worked for six months, theoretically. A lot of us have worked for town for many years, actually.”

Mrs Pilchard said she cannot understand why the commission is looking for a stronger first selectman and weaker Legislative Council.

  In the coming weeks, the Charter Revision Commission plans to move forward with its public relations campaign in which members will explain their recommendations and the rationale behind them to the public. Most importantly, the Charter Revision Commission needs to convince a skeptical Legislative Council that its changes are best for Newtown.