Middletown Voters Will See Proposed Charter Changes On Ballot

Middletown CT

18 August, 2021

3:33 PM

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MIDDLETOWN, CT —The Middletown Common Council voted last week to send proposed revisions of the city charter to the November ballot, the Middletown Press reports. The Charter Revision Committee has been working on the changes since last fall. According to the Middletown Press, Mayor Ben Florsheim said a major reason to update the charter was that public schools staff who do not teach are currently managed by the city. The changes in the town charter would make the superintendent and Board of Education in charge of these hiring and management decisions. Another change is to limit people from serving on a city board or commission for more than three consecutive terms. A person must wait three years after their third consecutive term to be reappointed. The updated charter would also include ethical standards for local officials. Voters will see these proposed changes in the form of two questions on the November 2 ballot and be able to cast a "yes" or "no" vote: Question #1: Shall the Charter be revised and reorganized to facilitate public understanding and access to local government by instituting: (a) clear standards of ethical conduct for local officials; (b) uniform procedures enhancing board and commission operations; (c) greater accountability and standards of compensation in the budget process; (d) nonpartisan council leader positions; and, (e) equal employment opportunities?Question #2: Shall the Charter be revised to transfer hiring and supervision responsibilities for custodians, secretarial and cafeteria staff, tradespersons, central office staff, and other employees who do not require State Board of Education certification at Middletown Public Schools from the Mayor to the Superintendent of Schools?