Simsbury Selectmen To Get Busy On New Charter

SIMSBURY, CT — The weather is still chilly, but things are heating up at Simsbury Town Hall, as the town's top elected body is mulling a new town governing document and a new spending plan.

The Simsbury Board of Selectmen will have a special meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 5 p.m. in the Simsbury Town Hall's main meeting room.

There, selectmen will see presentations about the Simsbury Charter Revision Commission's draft report, as well as the town manager-submitted budget proposal for 2026-27.

Then, the Simsbury Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Monday, Feb. 23, on proposed revisions to the town charter.

The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the main meeting room at Simsbury Town Hall, 933 Hopmeadow St.

Selectmen will receive public comment regarding the 2025 Charter Revision Commission Draft Report and Proposed Charter.

A copy of the proposed charter and draft report is available on the town’s website at simsbury-ct.gov and at the Simsbury Town Clerk’s Office.

Residents who cannot attend may submit written comments by emailing townmanager@simsbury-ct.gov by noon on Feb. 23.

Written comments will be forwarded to the Simsbury Board of Selectmen, but will not be read into the record at the hearing.

The Simsbury Town Charter is a major municipal document that, essentially, outlines how the Town of Simsbury operates.

For example, a major charter change nearly a decade ago brought Simsbury its current town manager-board of selectmen form of government.

This charter change represents a major review of that charter change, which drastically changed Simsbury's form of government.

Once the charter review board votes on a recommended charter change, selectmen then have some work to do after Monday's hearing.

The selectmen will eventually vote on the changes at a future meeting, with a final vote from voters on the charter likely coming this fall during the November elections.

Changes, then, would be implemented for the 2027 municipal elections.

The charter group has been meeting since late 2024 while looking at Simsbury's governing document, reviewing all components.

Among some of the major decisions being recommended and/or kept, according to the commission's draft report, are:

• Keep selectmen terms at two years and not stagger them.

• Keep the first selectman position as one elected by the voters (not by the board).

• Clarify the role of the first selectman as the main connection between the town manager and the board of selectmen.

• Keep two separate planning and zoning commissions. Simsbury has a zoning board and a separate planning board for land-use matters.

• In one change, it is being pitched that when a board/commission has alternates, the alternates being seated be from the same party as the absent, full member.

• In another change, attendance requirements are included for appointed board/commission members.

• Removed the requirement to post the entire town budget in a newspaper, instead mandating a summary, resulting in cost savings to taxpayers.

• Eliminate the Simsbury Economic Development Commission as a regular, town board.

• The charter also formalizes the names of town departments and the job titles of those in charge of those departments.

• Enact ordinance creating a Simsbury Open Space Committee.

• Several language tweaks, fixes, and clarifications throughout the document.

For more information on the new Simsbury Town Charter and the report, click on this link.

From Jan. 5: 'Simsbury Government Changes Proposed In Charter Review'

From Jan. 16: 'Final Simsbury Charter Hearing Slated For Next Week'