10/21/2024
I have been watching and videoing the charter revision commission meetings for the last 4 years.
The lack of transparency of this year’s commission meetings has been rampant all through this process, I missed the first meeting and public hearing because they were either not listed or listed improperly on the city website. I was checking the website every day. I missed the Alderman Charter Revision Public Hearing at the end too because it was incorrectly listed on the web site.
At both of these public hearings there were NO members of the public in attendance.
The only video of any of the Charter Revision meetings was done by private individuals. In all but one of the meetings, the City had the equipment needed in the room. They decided not to turn it on.
Yet again they have ignored the people’s requests for an updated Ethics Commission and Term limits, saying there was no need to review. I disagree. We need new people with new and different ideas making Shelton a better place to live and work.
The Technology committee was set up as a way to divert resources from the BoE to the city.
The Board of Education would appoint fewer than half of the members of the committee even though the bulk of equipment recommended would be for their use. They don’t need an extra group of people to get in the way of ordering the equipment required to meet State mandates. Existing staff members know what they’re doing.
The city could probably use a technology committee to help them select modern equipment.
There is a name change from Administrative Assistant to Chief of staff and a position for a second Chief of Staff is created. There are no guide lines for his/her job other than “assist the mayor in supervision of all offices” There is no mention of removal from office, which is addressed in many other appointments and city elected officials.
Lastly, the second question listed separately is changing the Board of Education from a simple majority to a 6-3 Super majority. This will not support education. This will not support any compromise. This is another power play for the mayor to have more control over the Board of Education. The members of one party could change any policy. The Mayor rejects the fact that the BoE is part of and answers to a state organization and has laws it must follow from the state.
For many years, our Board of Education had members working across the aisle for the good of students. I’m afraid a super majority would lessen the likelihood of this happening in the future.
We need to get signs out to make more people aware of this. The Mayor has sent people to the Senior Center to convince them to vote Yes. I have vote NO signs. Would you like one? Message me and I’ll get one put up for you within a day or two.
Please tell your friends and neighbors to join together and vote NO on both questions for the charter revision.
Wendy Holden
