By MARYELLEN APELQUIST, Journal Register News Service, 08/31/2008
NEWINGTON - With
the Charter Revision Commission's tentative approval of a plan for an annual
budget referendum, Mayor Jeff Wright is one step closer to making good on the
three-point pledge that he and his fellow Newington
Republicans campaigned on in 2007.
Commissioners split along party lines in the 3-2 vote on
Wright's budget referendum provision during a special meeting last week.
Republicans Nancy Bafundo, Tony Boni
and Robert Briggaman backed the plan; Democrats Alan Nafis and Peter Boorman were
opposed.
Nafis argued that officials shouldn't change what has
worked well enough for 40 years.
"When I got on the commission, I was looking for one of two reasons: Give
me a good reason to change [the charter] or get the public to come out on it,
which hasn't happened," Nafis said Tuesday of
his vote against the change to the charter, which was established in 1966 and
hasn't been opened in 15 years.
According to the mayor's proposal, a budget referendum will be held if the Town
Council calls for a property-tax increase above 3 percent. If a proposed tax
increase fails twice at referendum, the tax would be capped at 3 percent.
As the charter is written now, the council adopts a budget after holding two
public hearings.
"Politicians have to sell [a tax increase]. If they fail to sell it to the
people, the tax increase will be a maximum of 3 percent," Wright said
Tuesday. "People are looking to have a larger say in government spending
and their taxes. ... This is a movement that's happening across the
country."
The Charter Revision Commission is "hopefully getting to the end of the
process," said the mayor, who started pushing for the change in December.
The commission is expected to hold at least one public hearing in the next two
months before sending the proposed language for the charter change to the Town
Council. The council will then either send the proposal back to the commission
for changes - or send it to the public to decide.
The creation of a mandatory budget referendum is part of local Republicans'
three-point 2007 campaign pledge that also included capping property taxes at 3
percent and conducting a safety study of Newington Public Schools.
The results of a school security assessment conducted by Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency were presented to the
Board of Education in March.