Why Politicize

The Appointment Process?

To the Editor:

Last week the Republican chairman of the Legislative Council suggested that the charter be amended to give the political parties the primary role in the process to appoint individuals to boards and commissions. He supported his position by indicating he was upset that the Board of Education, a few years ago, did not automatically accept the hand-selected candidates from the political town committees to fill vacancies. He further suggested those appointed were not the top choice, despite being reelected by the voters at the next election. Like the Board of Selectman, the Board of Education is free under the charter to appoint any candidate its members find qualified, subject to certain qualifications, to fill vacancies. The Republican Town Committee may help source and recommend candidates, as can the Democrats, Independent Party of Newtown, and any other group or individual in Newtown. However, it makes sense for the members serving on the Board of Selectman or Board of Education to have the final say, not the political parties. After all, they are the ones who were elected by the voters.

It is distressing that the chairman of the Legislative Council would want to politicize a process which is designed to allow the two boards to select and appoint the most qualified candidates. Only about one quarter of the voters in Newtown are registered Republican, with the majority registered as unaffiliated. Giving control to the town committees could disenfranchise almost 50 percent of the registered voters in Newtown.

The chairman is going in the wrong direction. The appointment process should be open to all registered voters in Newtown and every effort should be made to find the most qualified candidate to fill a vacancy, regardless of party affiliation, subject to minority representation statutes. The elected officials of Newtown should have the sole responsibility to make appointments, unencumbered by the politics of the local political town committees. The appointment process may need to be fixed, but the objective should not be to give the Republican Town Committee more control. It should be to open up the process to a more diverse group of people who will then also have the opportunity to serve Newtown.

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue, Newtown                                          August 4, 2010