Town Officials Weigh In On Charter Commission Charges

By John Voket

Elected leaders each in turn offered opinions and, when asked, responded to questions from the Charter Revision Commission regarding its limited charge during a regular meeting on October 4.

First Selectman Pat Llodra was first, delivering a packet of information detailing the history of local budget referenda from the late 1980s and early 1990s when the town used to include occasional advisory questions about whether voters would want to see town or school budget proposals increased or decreased.

During Mrs Llodra’s comments, she also reinforced her opinion that a “one town-one budget” practice should remain in effect.

“I envision a community that can fairly and respectfully consider all the needs and seek to fund those needs at the most affordable level,” Ms Llodra said. “Quality schools, good roads, safe neighborhoods, open space, services for seniors, attractive and appropriate facilities, and more make up the fabric of our community.”

She then introduced a mantra that was reiterated by several other officials during the hourlong meeting: the concept that a representative government is ultimately responsible for ensuring both the fiscal health of the community, while preserving and protecting its core values.

She likened the results of a bifurcated — or split budget between the town and school sides — as a means to “propel Newtown into a situation where the bottom line is fixed, and the advocates for one side compete against the advocates of the other side for a larger share of the pie.”

School board Chairman William Hart said he agreed with the first selectman.

“We have one town, and enough difficulty with competition between departments,” Mr Hart told the Charter panel.

Saying he did not like the idea of splitting the budget ballot, the school board chairman said he would rather find a way to “deescalate the competition.” He also sided against ballot questions that rendered just a Yes or No response, in favor of questions that would telegraph “the inherent feeling of the voters.”

“An advisory question would help us [understand] the intent of the voters,” he added, saying the charter commission’s best evidence for recommending changes to the budget voting format should come after gauging its success in other neighboring towns already doing it.

Finance board Chair John Kortze said he could not speak for his board on the issue of bifurcation, and suggested that polling each of his board members would be the best way to go. Questioning what positive results might come from a split budget, the finance chair echoed the first selectman’s assertions.

While Mr Kortze suggested there is a lot of talk about bifurcating in the run up to the budget vote, it is equally, if not more, important to consider its aftermath, if enacted.

“What are we trying to accomplish as a town?” he asked. “At the end of the day, information helps. But we’re all elected, we ran on platforms, we have a body of work [upon which] people have cast a vote to put us into office, or back into office.”

Mr Kortze then presented some research that was compiled by himself and finance board member Joe Kearney. He said agencies that provide bond ratings to municipalities tend to prefer those with budget referenda like Newtown, and also prefer to see those votes pass on the first attempt.

Based on the data that was collected, towns with bifurcated budgets face twice the likelihood of first-round budget votes failing than towns with a single budget.

“Long, drawn out budget processes are not good,” Mr Kortze said. “Thirteen of 18 towns with bifurcated budgets are rated lower than we are. That should weigh in to your consideration as a factor. And that has an impact on everybody — what we pay on our debt.”

From a mechanical and realistic point, Mr Kortze said he was also concerned about the allocation of budget money when it comes to share space and services where those services cross over.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” he said. “The entire community can all utilize school environments. So what if we install a new HVAC system or build an addition?”

Mr Kortze pointed out that since all debt service is on the town side of the budget, that side of the budget may appear overinflated, even though the end result will primarily benefit a school facility and its primary users.

In regard to budget questions, Mr Kortze said from his perspective only, he would be concerned that questions might hurt the integrity of the budget vote.

“It’s the clearest thing we can do as a citizen,” he said. “We need to make sure whatever we are doing is discernable without debate. We can’t usurp the representative democracy that we have. That has to be preserved at all costs.”

Council Chairman Jeff Capeci told the panel he was also concerned that the cooperation and level of in-kind services that happen on a daily basis between town and school departments might be compromised by a split budget, but that advisory questions might help the council in their deliberations in the event a budget vote fails, as long as it is not the sole driver of their subsequent decisions.

“Elected officials need to take public opinion as one of the options to consider,” he said.