Politics & Government

Referendum on Proposed Budget, Charter Changes Set for Wednesday

Polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Residents will have their chance to weigh in on the town’s proposed 2011-2012 spending plan as well as proposed charter changes Wednesday. 

The budget is proposed at $34,015,978 and represents a .9-percent increase over last year's expenditures. The budget would result in a tax increase of .19 mils or .73 percent. It would result in owners of a home with a market value of $361,429 and an assessed value of $253,000 paying an additional $48 in taxes.

Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner encourages the public to participate.

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“The budget is an important issue and everyone should have their say,” he said. 

Skinner also urges people to vote on the proposed charter changes since 15 percent of the number of the town’s qualified voters at the last special election must weigh in on the charter vote for it to be valid. That number is 1,024. 

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Since the adoption of the current Charter, which became effective Jan. 1, 2010, an issue arose regarding how many candidates political parties could endorse for the Board of Selectmen. Due to what most describe as a typo, the potential for a small candidate pool and virtually no voter choice exists. 

The current charter only allows political parties to nominate two individuals for the Board of Selectmen in addition to first selectman. Since the board consists of five members it leaves the possibility, when a first selectman candidate runs unopposed, for all who run to be automatically elected. 

The new proposed charter has provisions for staggered terms and allows political parties to nominate as many candidates as there are available positions. 

The other proposed charter change is in the Emergency Authority section. The change provides the means for declaring a temporary state of Emergency in the absence of the First Selectman and Deputy First Selectman. The changes would add a requirement that the Board of Selectmen have a quorum during an emergency meeting and would extend the time period for Emergency Authority from 72 hours to 120 hours.

Complete copies of the revised Charter sections, including a black-lined version outlining each proposed revision, are available in the Canton Town Clerk's office and on the Town Web site.

The polls will be open from 6 am until 8 pm at the Canton Town Hall located at 4 Market St., Collinsville on Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

Portions of a town press release were used in this report. 


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