Fairfield Selectpersons Approve Charter Revision Ballot Question

FAIRFIELD, CT — Despite appeals to break up the text into multiple questions for residents to consider, the Board of Selectpersons Thursday approved a single Charter Revision question to appear on the fall election ballot.

The question will encompass several elements for voters to consider, and will require a yes or no response, which runs the risk of placing some residents in a quandary over whether to approve the whole question, even if they have reservations about individual items.

The question slated to appear on the ballot reads as follows:

Shall the Town of Fairfield Charter be reorganized to: (A) make it easier to use and understand; (B) modernize language and references throughout; (C) update and expand definitions; and (D) make substantive changes, including but not limited to the following: (1) uniform standards of conduct, civility and operations; (2) streamlined budget and contract approval procedures; (3) allow for greater competition in Board of Education elections; (4) modify Board of Selectperson vacancy process; (5) codify the current forty-member RTM with ten districts; (6) appointment of Constables; (7) codify the positions of Town Administrator and Chief of Staff; (8) modify residency and qualification standards for certain department heads; (9) update the Board of Library Trustees responsibilities; and (10) amend the process for updating the Town Seal.

Thursday's nearly 4-hour board meeting was marked by process questions and mild disagreements among the Selectpersons over whether to split up the question to give voters a chance to digest the changes individually.

Selectwoman Nancy Lefkowitz, a Democrat, had not seen the draft question until Thursday afternoon, and sought to have the matter tabled until Monday to give her, the board and the public a chance to mull over the wording. Her motion, however, was voted down by the two Republicans, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick and Selectperson Tom Flynn.

The public speakers at Thursday's meeting were split evenly over whether to offer the proposed Town Charter question as one, or as several questions.

"I just want to make it easy for our residents to vote," Kupchick said. "So, I'm not in the camp to split the questions out, because I think that will be confusing for people."

Kupchick outlined an information blitz in the coming weeks to help residents understand the proposed changes. The outreach will include making copies of the Town Charter available upon request; copies available to read in the libraries and senior center; webpages on the town's website; enlisting the local League of Women Voters for help; and other education efforts.

For more information on the proposed changes to the Fairfield Town Charter, click here.