Merola Takes Interim Seat—

Council Launches Charter Revision Process

By John Voket

Following a brief swearing-in ceremony and welcome to new member Robert Merola, the Legislative Council settled down to the business of creating and charging a panel of seven volunteers who, by year’s end, could recommend changes to the way Newtown administers its budget referendums.

Mr Merola was welcomed, and will serve out the term of fellow Republican John Aurelia, who resigned earlier this month because of health-related concerns.

A short time later, the council heard and unanimously endorsed a limited charge to the charter revision panel, which was tendered by a subcommittee that ratified the proposal earlier that evening. That subcommittee was chaired by Jan Andras, and included Benjamin Spragg, Daniel Amaral, and Kevin Fitzgerald.

While state statute gives a charter revision commission latitude to take up any considerations as it reviews its related document, the council hopes the current panel will stick to its limited charge, which stipulates final recommendations from the process must be received back by December 15.

In addition to boilerplate language about seating officers along with scheduling meetings and registering actions, the charge directs the panel to engage an attorney to review “proper drafting, possible redundancy,” and flag any other inconsistencies and conflicts either within the local document, or with state statutes.

The specifics of the recommendation request the panel consider requiring a bifurcated budget, to include ballot questions specific to the school and town-side proposals, as well as considering including nonbinding advisory questions as to whether the budget in question is too high or low.

A final charge asks the volunteers to “consider a budget ballot requiring each voter to (a) approve the budget, or (b) reject the budget because it is too high, or (c) reject the budget because it is too low.” This option would result in one choice only and would not require any additional advisory questions.

Then, James Belden, who chaired a subcommittee that interviewed and recommended the seven commission candidates, presented the slate for confirmation. Speaking to the motion to confirm the nominees, Mr Belden said he and his colleagues Mary Ann Jacob, Chris LaRocque, and Richard Woycik were seeking a mix of experience and “new faces” who will come to the process without preconceived notions or convictions.

He told the council his committee conducted an expedited series of meetings August 11, 12, and 16, most of which were held in executive or closed session because they involved candidate interviews.

While the subcommittee considered recommending as many as nine, and as few as five, Mr Belden said seven members would likely find it easiest to manage what the committee assumed would be a speedy review process on a limited scope of charges. The seven candidates who were subsequently and unanimously confirmed for the process are Judge William Lavery, Bob Duero, Pete Spanedda, John Godin, Eric Paradis, Carey Schierloh, and Joseph Golden (see sidebar on committee selection process).

After introducing four of the seven who attended Wednesday’s meeting, the council held its vote and closed out their charter-related business by unanimously agreeing to seat the charter panel candidates with the charge previously recommended.