By Sentinel Staff
The architecture of local government rarely draws a crowd, but Tuesday night’s Charter Revision Commission meeting revealed how much the design of that architecture matters.
The commission met at Town Hall and on Zoom to review potential updates to New Canaan’s charter, the document that defines how town government functions. The discussion quickly turned to the role of the town treasurer and whether that position should remain independently elected or become an appointed administrative role.
Public comment opened the evening with several residents urging structural reforms.
Resident John Amarilios called for expanding the Board of Selectmen from three members to five or more, arguing that the current structure discourages robust debate.
“The current system basically… it’s a two-tone situation which basically leaves one person to fend for themselves,” Amarillis said.
He also suggested adding a mechanism allowing voters to recall elected officials and proposed additional safeguards when the town forecloses on property for unpaid taxes.
Another resident warned against weakening financial oversight.
“Our financial function must remain independent,” Roy Abramowitz told commissioners while arguing the treasurer should remain elected.
That set the stage for a lengthy presentation from current Town Treasurer Andrew Brooks, who has held the position for 13 years.
Brooks framed the role as a guardian of taxpayer interests.
“The treasurer is an independent watchdog and taxpayer advocate,” he told the commission.
Under Connecticut law, the treasurer receives town funds, authorizes payments and oversees the investment of municipal cash. Brooks said the position also plays an important oversight role in reviewing payments, managing banking relationships and signing off on municipal bond issuances.
Over the course of his tenure, he said, the town has managed more than $2 billion in taxpayer funds.
Brooks emphasized that independence is the key feature of the role.
“Dual control is a cornerstone principle of any worldclass finance organization,” he said.
In New Canaan’s current structure, the town’s finance department reports through the chief financial officer to the first selectman, while the treasurer operates independently as an elected official.
Brooks argued that separation creates an important layer of oversight.
“When you’re talking about public funds, the bar is far higher than a corporation,” he said.
Commission members questioned Brooks about the practical operation of the job, including his role in reviewing payments and working with town finance staff.
Brooks cited an example of discovering a banking error that resulted in additional income for the town.
“I did an investigative project and discovered that we had been underpaid $125,000 in interest,” he said.
The discussion occasionally veered into broader governance questions, including Brooks’ concern that he no longer has direct access to the town attorney, something he suggested should be clarified in the charter.
Beyond the treasurer’s role, Brooks also offered other potential charter changes, including expanding the Board of Selectmen to five members and clarifying that the Town Council holds ultimate budget authority.
Commission members did not reach conclusions Tuesday night but agreed to continue reviewing draft language related to financial governance.
They also began a separate discussion about standardizing term lengths for boards and commissions, with preliminary support for extending some two-year terms to three years.
The Charter Revision Commission will continue its work in upcoming meetings as it prepares recommendations that could ultimately be presented to voters in a referendum.
