Town Charter Fiasco… Again

To the Editor,

I was reminded again Monday night at the budget meeting of how completely ridiculous and undemocratic a process the Newtown Town Charter promotes. Monday’s town budget meeting is a joke. Regardless of which side of the issue one is one, one must admit Monday night was a fiasco, again. No one comes to the town meeting to debate the budget, but rather to vote. Everyone’s mind is already made up so the process is useless. What the process is, is one that disenfranchises most Newtown voters. To be able to vote one must be in attendance for a ten second voice vote. Ten seconds to decide on $66 million. A voice vote also seems highly undemocratic, and may be illegal, since anyone could have voted with their voice. If only registered voters are to vote, then only registered voters should be allowed in the auditorium. I’d guess that nearly 20% of the voices there were under seven years of age; clearly not registered. To have a democratic process, legitimate voters should have an adequate opportunity to cast a vote, like every other election.

The other travesty to the democratic process is the simple fact that the people with the largest fiscal responsibility, the school board members, are not directly accountable to the voters; they are appointed by the parties, not elected. The school system takes nearly 60% of the $66 million, but answers to the political parties. Wow, now that is a really good check and balance system! What system is this modeled after, Russia’s?

Many of the processes in the town charter were great for the 1700’s when there were 20 families for the 60 square miles of Newtown. But this is the 21st century. Somehow we need to get with it.

Warren Hoppmeyer

23 Cobblers Mill, Sandy Hook                                     May 17, 2000