Annual dog licenses are required to be in order by the end of June. As of July 1, dog warden George Mattegat will be issuing $60 fine for all unlicensed dogs.
This article notes that a “director of operations is largely the same thing as a town administrator.” But, the Charter states that “[t]he First Selectman shall be the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the Town...” So, it appears that Newtown already has a town administrator.
Also, the Charter outlines some of the responsibilities of the Administrative Officer (i.e., First Selectman), for example, in sections 4-40 [employees], 6-05(b) [creating a budget], and 7-15(d) [purchasing]. Would the Director of Operations have any say over employee performance reviews and decisions related to hiring or dismissing employees? Would s/he be the one to work with individual departments when developing a budget? Would s/he be considered a purchasing authority? If not, then how will the position actually help reduce the administrative workload that the First Selectman now does? Also, will the position include enough leadership responsibilities to entice those with the skills that the town needs to offload those responsibilities from the First Selectman?
Perhaps answers to these questions (and more) could be a part of the work of the next Charter Revision Committee.
Voting Rights - Ct. is one of 24 states being sued by the DOJ for not turning over our statewide voter registration lists including driver's license and social security numbers.
A very Happy Birthday to Mary Allen on this momentous occasion. During my time as First Selectman, I found great joy in participating in centennial celebrations at Stone Bridge and throughout Newtown. Providing a formal citation for a milestone like yours remains one of my proudest memories of public service.
Under Herb's proposal it sounds like day-to-day operations he used to manage as a FS will be handed off to an unelected bureaucrat either way, with the only choice the voters may have is if they will do so with a figurehead FS in place as well.
