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Community Corner

PUBLIC HEARING - Monday Jan. 13th 7pm - CHARTER REVISION

TAXPAYER ALERT!

Monday, January 13th7pm
Bethel Municipal Center
Public Hearing scheduled by Charter Revision Commission 

The New Year kicks off with a litany of changes proposed by the Charter Revision Commission. Many of these revisions directly threaten Bethel’s Town Meeting form of government – removing  control from the voter and the Board of finance - and places it in the hands of the Board of Selectman. Our current model is based on separation of power, checks and balances, and consent of the governed.

The BAC does not profess to be expert in all things related to the Bethel Town Charter. However, we can cite some of the proposed changes as a direct threat to our existing  form of government, which diffuses political power in order to prevent elected officials from exercising total control.

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Included with this alert is a memo from the Charter Revision Commission’s legal counsel, Nicholas Vitti,  listing the Commission’s Summary of Charter Revisions. Please read it carefully and note our comments in BOLD CAPS.

Also  note that this memo is not the finalized list, which will be available at the Public Hearing. They have also been posted on the Town Hall website. Here is a link to a directory containing all relevant documents: 

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http://www.bethel-ct.gov/controls/NewsFeed.aspx?FeedID=64

Over the years BAC has stimulated debate on many important issues – including ALL or NONE, the Old Town Hall demolition, the creation and editing protocol for meeting minutes, as well as the proposed sale of our water supply to Aquarion. We are able to do this BECAUSE we have a Town Meeting  system in Bethel. The  proposed Charter changes could ultimately transition Bethel to a Mayor/Council form of government. We believe that our Town Meeting format is worth fighting for.

The Town Charter is the local equivalent of The Constitution of the United States. The proposed changes to this fundamental document demands more than the Charter Revision Commission has devoted to it. Of their scheduled 22 meetings, they have actually cancelled more than half.

Please attend this very important Public Hearing and make your opinions known.

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M E M O R A N D U M

To: Charter Revision Commission
From: Nicholas W. Vitti Jr., Esq.
Date: December 11, 2013
Re: Summary of Charter Changes

Summary of Charter Changes after Charter Revision Commission Meeting 12/9/13:

I. Five (5) member BOS with four (4) year terms (Tracking Sheet –Item No. 1 & 2):

 a. C3-4(A) –Five member Board, elected for a term of four (4) years at regular town election;

THERE HAS BEEN NO PUBLIC OUTCRY FROM BETHEL RESIDENTS FOR ADDITIONAL PAID ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND NO EVIDENCE THAT LOCAL AND STATE  POLITICAL PROBLEMS ARE RESULT OF HAVING TOO FEW ELECTED OFFICIALS.

INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PAID SELECTMEN WILL:

1.    ENLARGE THE SIZE AND INCREASE COST OF GOVERNMENT;

2.    GUARANTEE  FUTURE PUBLIC POLICY BATTLES DUE TO TO THE EROSION OF CHECKS AND BALANCES;

3.    DIMINISH THE ROLE OF THE BOARD OF FINANCE;

4.    INVITE THE POLITICAL CRONYISM THAT STEMS FROM ENTRENCHED INCUMBENT POLITICIANS.

b. C3-4(B) – Selectmen receiving the next four highest number of votes (including the unsuccessful candidate for First Selectman;

c. C4-1(A) – Composition of BOS -5 member, 4 Selectmen, 1 First Selectman;

d. C4-2(B) – Special meeting called by any 3 Selectmen; Quorum = 3 Selectmen;

e. C4-4(F) – Affirmative vote of 3 Selectmen to correct ordinances;

f. C5-4(A) – At first meeting of newly elected BOS, elect Acting Selectman (deletes biennial election); and

g. C7-4 – Appointment by affirmative vote of 3 Selectmen.

II. Annual Town Budget Meeting (Item No. 4):

a. C6-3(A)(1) –Town Budget Meeting to be held in first seven days of April instead of May.

THIS COULD BE HELPFUL TO THE TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE IN THE EVENT OF MULTIPLE BUDGET REJECTIONS. HOWEVER, IT COULD ALSO CAUSE THE TOWN TO SIGN OFF ON AN ANNUAL BUDGET LONG BEFORE THE STATE FINALIZES ITS AID TO MUNICIPALITIES. HOW CAN A TOWN SET ITS MIL RATE WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION? BETHEL COULD WIND UP APPROVING A MIL RATE THAT OVERTAXES OR UNDERTAXES RESIDENTS.

III. Increasing thresholds requiring Town Meeting (Item No. 6):

a. C6-4(A) –Issuance of bonds in excess of one year –threshold changed to $50,000.00; and

b. C6-4(B) –Additional appropriations –threshold changed to $50,000.00.

THIS REVISION MAKES IT EASIER FOR  LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO SPEND TAXPAYER MONEY. IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD THE TAXPAYERS-AT-LARGE, IT SHOULD BE DIFFFICULT – NOT EASY – TO SPEND PUBLIC MONEY. THE LACK OF CONSTRAINTS IS WHAT MAKES IT NECESSARY TO RAISE EXISTING TAXES AND CREATE NEW ONES.

IV. Town Meeting for Sale, Purchase, or Other Disposition of Real Estate (Item No. 7):

a. C6-4(C) –Other disposition of Real Estate to cover demolition.

V. Cleanup of language; delete “full-time” from all position descriptions (Item No. 9):

a. C8-4 –deletes “full time” language from Assessor position (only position that has the “full time” language).

VI. Advertised Bidding Threshold (Item No. 10)

a. C8-13(C)(4)(i) –Advertised bid threshold changed to $50,000.

VII. Fire Departments (Item No. 11) (New ¶):

a. C8-14 –Recognized volunteer departments; act pursuant to CGS; and chiefs report to First Selectman.

VIII. Finance and Taxation (Item No. 12):

a. C10-2(D) –BOF able to increase or decrease department budgets as a whole (no line item reductions).

THIS PROPOSAL USURPS THE HISTORIC ROLE OF THE BOARD OF FINANCE. THE BoF IS RECOGNIZED AS THE RESTRAINING, CONSERVATIVE FORCE IN LOCAL BUDGETARY MATTERS.

LINE ITEM APPROVAL BY THE BoF INSURES THAT EVERY BUDGET REQUEST REFLECTS A SPECIFIC, JUSTIFIED NEED. BASED ON BATTLES BETWEEN THE PREVIOUS BoF AND THE CURRENT BOARD OF SELECTMEN, THIS PARTICULAR REVISION SMACKS OF  POLITICAL RETRIBUTION BY THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN.

IX. Special Appropriations & Transfer of Appropriations (Item No. 13):

a. C10-4(B) –Special appropriations from any town agency surplus or contingency fund to another town agency not to exceed $50,000.

X. Budget Neutral Transfers (Item No. 14) (New ¶):

a. C10-4(C) –BOS may make budget neutral transfers within an individual department operating budget.

THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO GIVING THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN BLANK CHECK. IF THIS CHANGE IS APPROVED, THE BoS WILL BE ABLE TO CONDUCT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS FOR GOODS AND SERVICES NOT APPROVED AT THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.

XI. Board of Education Fund Accounts (Item No. 16) (New ¶):

a. C10-4(G) -BOE may create activity funds accounts apart from town budget.

THESE TYPES OF ACCOUNTS CAN EASILY BECOME "SLUSH FUNDS' WITH NO PUBLIC OVERSIGHT. WHAT THIS PROPOSAL REVEALS IS THAT THE BOARD OF ED HAS SOURCES OF REVENUE IN ADDITION TO FUNDS DERIVED FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND STATE GRANTS.

XII. Meetings (Item No. 17) (New ¶):

a. C11-11 –Meetings take place Municipal Center, School or Library.

XIII. Public Utilities Commission (Item No. 18):

a. C7-11(A) –Public Utilities Commission to be five appointed members with four year terms (staggered).

WHEN OFFICIALS ARE APPOINTED BY THE SITTING SELECTMAN, THERE IS NO ELECTORAL MECHANISM TO REMOVE THEM. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT GIVING SO MUCH POWER OVER THE RATEPAYERS TO A COMMISSION THAT IS BEHOLDEN TO THE SELECTMEN.
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