Commission Votes To Send Fairfield Charter Changes To Selectmen

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield Charter Revision Commission wrapped up its work on Town Charter Monday, but not before removing a controversial recommendation from the draft document.

Commissioners voted to remove a provision that would have allowed for minority party representation on the Representative Town Meeting, following weeks of outcry and opposition from some residents.

"It's disappointing," said Commissioner Pamela Iacono about the removal, adding that the measure was misunderstood by the public.

• Related: Is Fairfield Government Too Big Or Too Small? Charter Talks Begin

At a public hearing earlier this month, several residents opposed making changes to the RTM, reported the Fairfield Citizen.

The last time the town revised its charter was 2006, and one of the recommendations going forward is for the officials not to allow that much time between reviews; officials might review the charter every 10 years for the possibility of revising the document.

While the minority party representation clause was removed, recommending a reduction in RTM members from the current 40 to 30 was not removed, though whether that suggestion moves ahead in the future remains to be seen. Currently, the charter allows for the RTM to be as large as 56 members.

According to commissioners, the RTM measures and others will end up on a future town ballot for residents to decide.

The commission's recommendations will be sent to the Board of Selectmen for its June 27 meeting.