Seymour to consider 6 ballot questions

Voters urged to pose questions

Tomorrow, Seymour voters will head to the polls and find six questions to answer on the ballot.  The first four questions deal with charter revisions and the last two questions are non-binding advisory questions to determine if further charter revision may be advised in the future.

First Selectman W. Kurt Miller is thankful for the time the charter revision commission put in over the last nine months.
"This was a long and involved process and everyone would appreciate residents voting on the questions,’ he said. 
In the recent past charter revisions were not completed due to low voter participation."We wanted to make sure people knew there are charter revisions on the ballot so we have utilized the press and made community announcement phone calls," Kurt said. "We want people to vote this time around."

The charter revisions are summarized into the following four yes or no questions:
Shall the Seymour Town Charter be amended as follows: (1) to change the powers and duties of various boards, (2) to change the time within which vacancies in elected offices are to be filled, (3) to change the nature and manner of certain appointments to boards and offices, (4) to create a Culture and Arts Commission, and (5) to define the duties of the Human Resources Manager?

Shall the Seymour Town Charter be amended to clarify the annual Town Meeting and budget process, including quorum requirements and the provision for adoption of a budget following referendum?
Shall the Seymour Town Charter be amended to change the Board of Planning and Zoning regular members from an appointed to an elected board?
Shall the Seymour Town Charter be amended to correct grammar, spelling, terminology, statutory references, and outdated provisions in the Town Charter, and to make other technical changes as recommended by the Charter Revision Commission?

Residents are encouraged to view the summary document for these questions by visiting http://www.seymourct.org/government.aspx.
A red-lined version of the full charter is found on the town website. Hard copies are also available at Town Hall in the Town Clerk’s Office, at the Senior Center at 20 Pine St., and at Seymour Public Library.
The non-binding advisory questions are yes or no opinion questions:
Shall the next Charter Revision Commission consider a town manager form of government?
Shall the next Charter Revision Commission consider the return to a single vote process for approval of the General Town and Education budgets?
The information gained from questions 5 & 6 will help future charter revision commissions. 

If anyone has additional questions about the proposed changes they can call the First Selectman’s Office, 203-888-2511.
Residents are encouraged to cast an informed vote on the proposed charter revisions.


The above was taken from a release from Christine Conroy, Administrative Assistant to First Selectman Kurt Miller.