Connecticut State Statutes provide a basic governance framework that applies to all Connecticut towns unless they adopt a charter. This framework may or may not address a town’s specific needs or goals, so a charter allows a town to customize its governance structure. A local charter is similar to a state or national constitution.

A town charter is a legal document that includes a municipality’s general laws. It establishes the organizational structure, as well as the powers, duties, and responsibilities of local government.  Further, it includes the handling of public services and financial matters, such as the power to tax and to incur debt (bond). The charter also provides information regarding the town’s “agencies” (boards, commissions, and committees).

Chester is one of about fifty (50) remaining municipalities in Connecticut that still operate under State Statutes since we do not have a Charter (2/3 of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities have a Charter).  In 1973, Chester considered a Charter for many of the same reasons being discussed today, but the next steps were never taken.

A Charter enables a municipality to set its own rules for governance and is designed to be customized to meet a town’s specific needs and interests.  Connecticut State Statutes can be restrictive, limiting opportunities and improvements for governing.  While some of the changes in the Proposed Charter can be made by administrative action or ordinance, a charter can best address issues of continuity, complexity, and engagement that the Town has been experiencing.  Also, without a charter, future town officials can easily decide to change course, affecting the continuity and stability of government.

It is the opposite. The Proposed Charter preserves the Town Meeting but shifts some of the balance to a shared authority between the Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting based on complexity and importance.  This creates a more efficient way to govern by simplifying the approval process for routine actions. An example is the adoption of a non-controversial administrative action, such as approving a town ordinance to create or change the size of a board or commission. Town Meetings will continue to be held for Voters to decide on major issues, such as approval of the Annual Town Budget, real estate matters, certain town ordinances, and other actions defined in the Charter. The Region 4 education budget will continue to be voted on separately in a district-wide referendum.

With the Proposed Charter, 5% of Chester Voters can petition for a Town Meeting to overrule an action of the Board of Selectmen, such as ordinances, resolutions, or other actions taken.  Also, the Charter provides options for the Board of Selectmen to call a Town Meeting if the Financial Accountability Board (formerly, Board of Finance) rejects the Board of Selectmen’s recommendations for Additional Appropriations, Contingency Account transfers, or Capital Improvement Program related transfers, something not possible today. These features provide an added layer of opportunity for Chester voters to make their voices heard and to vote on town priorities. 

The Proposed Charter provides for the Board of Selectmen to appoint a full-time professional municipal manager — a Town Administrator serving as the Chief Administrative Officer — to assist the First Selectman and Board of Selectmen.  The Town Administrator will be supervised by and reports through the First Selectman to the Board of Selectmen. The Town Administrator will manage the day-to-day operations and administration of Town services and departments, a role currently performed by the First Selectman. He or she will implement Board of Selectmen policies and ensure that the Town runs efficiently and effectively.  The First Selectman will remain the Chief Executive Officer, but the position will be relieved of daily management responsibilities (with a reduction in salary reflecting the change in responsibilities).  This separation of roles allows the First Selectman and Board of Selectmen to focus on collaborative planning and strategy, policy-making, oversight of town government, and more.

A benchmark survey was conducted for the ten (10) Connecticut municipalities that currently have a Town Administrator. The expected salary range for towns with demographics similar to Chester is $110,000 to $126,000. Should the Proposed Charter be adopted, the First Selectman’s salary would be significantly reduced to reflect the transfer of most day-to-day administrative and operational duties to the full-time Town Administrator, from the current salary of nearly $85,000 to the new salary range of $25,000 to $35,000.* The cost of benefits is expected to be neutral due to the elimination of benefits for the First Selectman. Annual stipends currently paid to the other Selectmen would also be eliminated.

This results in a net budgeted cost of about $57,000/year** for a Town Administrator or approximately $30/taxpayer/year or 0.00010 of a mil (based on the average $307,000 assessed value for a residential property in Chester).
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It’s important to note that a professional manager provides efficiencies and cost-saving measures that will more than offset this cost by bringing the necessary skills, expertise, experience, and training to an increasingly complex job. A Town Administrator can improve service and reduce operating expenses in many areas, for example, the costs of using outside experts and counsel, utilities, technology, and insurance, to name a few. Professional managers are skilled in obtaining grant funding that can also offset the added cost.

* The salary may be higher for the first year during the transition period, e.g., half salary. The amount will be determined by the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance.

** Assumptions using the Town of Columbia as a benchmark:

Budgeted Cost (if Charter Adopted)
Proposed Town Administrator:               $126,000
Reduced First Selectman Salary:           $  26,000
Selectmen Stipends (Eliminated):          $           0
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TOTAL COST – Proposed Charter:        $152,000

Budgeted Cost (Current FY 2024-2025 Budget)
Current First Selectman Salary:             $  85,000
Selectmen Stipends:                              $  10,000
——————————————————————-
TOTAL COST – Current FY25 Budget: $  95,000

NET ADDITIONAL COST FOR ADDING A TOWN ADMINISTRATOR: $152,000 – $95,000 = $57,000 (approximately $30/yr or 0.0001 mill)

Expanding the Board of Selectmen from three (3) to five (5) members addresses the initial concerns regarding Chester’s recent experience with resignations and retirements of Board members. A larger Board of Selectmen will provide more expertise and diverse viewpoints providing for more informed decision-making.  A 3-member board can result in split votes that can be divisive for a small board. Towns interviewed during the Governance Study and Charter processes stated they prefer 5-member boards that can have more robust discussions resulting in consensus. A larger board also avoids the vulnerability from being down a member for a 3-member board due to illness, job changes, etc.  State Statutes limit the Board of Selectmen to three members for a town our size, so a Charter is required to make this change.

Your elected officials will be the expanded Board of Selectmen, the Financial Accountability Board (formerly known as the Board of Finance), the Chester and Region 4 School Boards, the Registrars of Voters, and Justices of the Peace. All other town officials, board and commission members would be appointed by the Board of Selectmen. 

The Board of Finance will be replaced with a 5-member elected Financial Accountability Board (FAB) with similar duties and responsibilities. The name of the Board was changed to not cause any confusion with State Statutes on the recommendation of Chester’s Town Attorney.

The FAB still remains the primary budget-making authority for the Town.  The Town Administrator and Finance Director prepare the Annual Town Budget, working with and on behalf of the Board of Selectmen, along with a Fiscal Advisory Committee (FAC), boards & commissions, and town departments through a process defined in the Charter.  The FAB will review and may recommend modifications to the Annual Town Budget proposed by the Board of Selectmen, which is then presented at a budget public hearing and subsequently presented to voters to consider at the Annual Budget Meeting.

The FAB sets the annual mil rate in consultation with the Board of Selectmen. The Charter also calls for an independent audit of the books and accounts of the Town and Chester Board of Education. The auditor is selected by the FAB with the audit being presented at a meeting of the Board of Selectmen.

The Fiscal Advisory Committee (FAC) is a new committee focused on long-range planning and capital improvement plans. Their role is to advise and be advised by the Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator on financial issues and policies. The FAC will be chaired by the First Selectman and consists of existing town officials, that includes the Town Administrator and Finance Director, the Chair of the Financial Accountability Board, the Chair of the Chester Board of Education, the Chair of the Economic Development Commission, the Chair of Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Superintendent of Schools (or their designees). The FAC will recommend a long-range capital improvement plan to the Board of Selectmen for their consideration. The capital plan and 5-year capital budget recommended by the Board of Selectmen will be provided to the Fiscal Accountability Board for their consideration and funding in the Annual Town Budget.

The elected boards that will become appointed under the Proposed Charter are:  Board of Assessment Appeals, Library Board of Trustees, Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Additionally, all Town boards will transition from their current terms (presently, 2-, 4-, 5-, or 6-year terms) to a standard 4-year term, except for members of Regional School District 4 whose terms will remain at six (6) years, as required by State Statute. Most town officials interviewed during the Governance Study and Charter processes believe that a 2-year term for the Board of Selectmen isn’t long enough to accomplish goals and projects, many requiring multiple years to complete.

The reality is that most all candidates on the local election ballot continue to run unopposed.  For example, a review of the last six Chester elections (2013 – 2023) shows that only 11% (20 of 190) of the races were contested, leaving 89% of candidates on the ballot unopposed (including 10% of races with no candidates). This can also result in candidates not necessarily being selected for their expertise, which is especially important for the more technical and regulatory boards.

Most important is that the appointment process is a much better way to engage the 41% of Chester’s Unaffiliated and minority party voters (not registered with a major political party) who can find it difficult to get on the ballot or run for political office.  As shown in the table below, a review of currently elected board members shows that only 9% are registered as Unaffiliated or minority party (e.g., Common Ground, Independent) voters.  Comparatively, for appointed boards, 27% are registered as Unaffiliated or minority party voters. Therefore, this is a wonderful way to engage this large block of voters!

Most of Chester’s boards do not have alternates.  Under the Proposed Charter, alternates will be eliminated, with the exception of the Zoning Board of Appeals (required by State Statute).  In interviews with other towns and from observations, full membership on boards reinforces engagement and results in enhanced commitment.  Recent statistics show that for boards with alternates, alternate attendance is typically lower than that of regular members and, anecdotally, having alternates may impact regular member attendance. 

The Town Clerk and Tax Collector positions will shift from being elected to hired, based on professional skills and qualifications.  These positions have become very specialized and continuity is essential because of required ongoing training and certifications.  Further, the Treasurer position was changed from elected to appointed by town ordinance last year, with this appointment included in the Proposed Charter.  

The “minority representation” statutes were established to ensure that the voices of the minority are heard and considered in the deliberations and decisions of the majority. State Statutes provide flexibility for municipalities with charters by enabling a town to reduce the statutory maximum number of members of the same political party on a board, but to not increase it. 

The Proposed Charter provides exceptions for boards with five (5) or seven (7) members.  5-member boards are limited to a maximum of three (3) members from the same party, and  7-member boards to a maximum of four (4) members from the same political party, providing for more minority representation than what is prescribed by State Statutes.

This change encourages bipartisan decision-making and engages those other than majority political party members, including the 41% of Chester Unaffiliated and minority party voters who are not registered with a major political party. 

Yes. A town’s charter can be amended (see Section 11.4 in the Proposed Charter).

Unlike Connecticut’s state statutes which are very difficult to change, charters are more flexible and can be amended by a town to address its own specific needs and interests.  The process to amend a charter is specified by state statute and is the same as that used for initial charter adoption.

It is a good practice to periodically review and revise a Charter when necessary and it is in the best interest of the Town.