By Peter Barhydt
New Canaan’s Charter Revision Commission opened its work to the public Tuesday night with a hearing that quickly zeroed in on a core question: should key town boards remain appointed, or be made elected to strengthen accountability?
Meeting in the Town Hall boardroom in a hybrid session, Chair Kathleen A. Corbet (D) convened the Dec. 2 hearing with Vice Chair Judy Neville (R), Secretary Angela Jameson (D), and commissioners Steven Case (U), Jennifer Holme (R), Russ Kimes III (U), Todd Lampert (D), Chris LeBris (D), Joseph Palo (R), William Parrett (R) and Karen Willett (D) present. The commission was formed to review the Town Charter and recommend updates for voters to consider next year.
Corbet reminded residents that the charter can be amended through additions, deletions, clarifications or restructuring, and encouraged written submissions beyond the four-minute speaking limit. “Every meeting is open to the public,” she said, noting more public comment periods will be held as the review progresses.
Residents press for elections, stronger checks
The first in-person speaker, Roy Abramowitz, described himself as a CPA with experience in forensic auditing. Abrams said the charter lacks “checks and balances” and “best practices,” particularly around finance and procurement. He argued that the Board of Finance should be elected — correcting himself after initially saying “appointed” — because its current appointment process makes it too answerable to the Board of Selectmen rather than voters.
Abramowitz also raised concerns about conflicts of interest in town purchasing. He called for a Public Works oversight committee to review bidding and proposals before they reach the selectmen or Town Council, saying the current system concentrates too much authority in too few hands. He advocated for elected Planning & Zoning (P&Z), an elected ethics committee, and a more professionally staffed Audit Committee, arguing that recent audit experience should be required.
Several speakers tied their remarks to the controversial St. Luke’s School parking garage proposal on North Wilton Road, which is currently under appeal. Lynn Vaughan who lives directly across from the school driveway, described years of traffic backups, safety risks and repeated calls to police stemming from school activity. Vaughn said residents who pay taxes should have an electoral voice over commissions that approve major land-use projects. “The residents of New Canaan need to be able to vote for planning and zoning and wetlands officials so there is elected accountability,” she said.
Sarah Pierce, also part of the neighborhood appeal, called the planned 200-car garage an “unprecedented decision” in a residential zone and warned that appointed boards can take actions leading to legal battles without consequences. Pierce argued that the costs of construction impacts — including likely road repairs — would fall on taxpayers, while St. Luke’s, as a tax-exempt nonprofit serving many out-of-town students, would not share that burden.
Bethany Uhlein echoed those concerns, saying neighborhood residents were not properly notified and that commission deliberations seemed to give more weight to non-taxpaying institutions than to local voters. She questioned the long-term rationale for approving a structure she believes will not solve the school’s growth pressures.
Town Council member urges broad review
Christina Ross, a Town Council member speaking “as an individual,” urged the commission to benchmark New Canaan’s charter against other well-managed Fairfield County towns. Ross’s recommendations emphasized term limits, separation of powers, stronger ethics rules, and clearer role definitions.
Among her specific suggestions:
• Study expanding the Board of Selectmen from three to five members.
• Reconsider whether the First Selectman should sit as a voting member of the Board of Finance.
• Clarify job descriptions and responsibilities for elected and appointed officials.
• Evaluate term limits for all offices.
• Review the Board of Finance’s size, appointment vs. election method, chair structure, and its authority over fund transfers.
• Reassess the Treasurer’s reporting line and whether the position should remain elected.
• Consider splitting P&Z into administrative and permitting bodies due to workload.
Ross said these changes could improve “conflicts of interest, transparency, clarity, efficiency, and responsiveness to the taxpayers.”
Online speakers reinforce themes
Zoom participants largely echoed the themes of accountability and structure. Andrew Brooks said independent financial oversight has proven valuable, citing past “material weaknesses” and pointing to recent troubles in other towns without an independent treasurer. Brooks supported elected P&Z and a shift toward more elected positions overall. He also backed expanding the Board of Selectmen to five members, saying the current three-member structure complicates informal discussion under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Denise Luccarelli said she joined mainly to learn what the charter review might address but stressed that New Canaan’s growth demands more checks and balances, arguing the town is no longer “small, quaint” and needs officials to be held accountable at the ballot box.
Betty Lavastik, who attended the charter revision process a decade ago, supported a five-member selectmen board, elected P&Z, wetlands and finance boards, and also urged the commission to consider longer terms and stricter term limits. She noted that Wilton uses four-year terms for some offices and limits most elected officials (except the First Selectman) to two consecutive full terms, a model she said could broaden participation and reduce entrenched leadership.
After no further hands were raised in the room or online, the hearing portion closed.
Commission begins its work plan
Following the public hearing, the commission moved into a special meeting to organize its process. Members approved minutes from their Nov. 18 kickoff meeting and unanimously adopted a schedule for future sessions.
The commission heard from former Charter Revision Commission Chair Dave Hunt, who led the last revision in 2015–16. Hunt stressed the importance of independent legal counsel when recommendations may affect officials who control the town attorney’s employment. He recounted that the prior commission eventually hired outside counsel to handle a FOIA complaint. He also warned that state law heavily constrains what towns can change in a charter, making experienced legal guidance important.
Hunt urged caution about converting appointed boards to elected ones, saying New Canaan historically attracts highly qualified residents who will serve but may not campaign for office. “Walk carefully on changing things from appointed to elected,” he said, while acknowledging that the decision is fundamentally a policy choice for the current commission.
FOIA rules shape interviews
Town attorney Nick Bamonte advised commissioners that any small-group interviews or subcommittee assignments would count as meetings under FOIA if they are directed by the commission and used to gather information for later reporting. Such meetings must be publicly noticed and open. Emails sent to commissioners about charter business are public records, he said.
Commissioners discussed the tension between transparency and the desire to hear candid input from officials or residents who may be uncomfortable speaking publicly. Bamonte said anonymous emails can be accepted but still become public records and may carry less weight without attribution.
Survey planned; consultant idea debated
To broaden public input beyond meetings, the commission voted to draft a public survey. Commissioners Jennifer Holme and Karen Willett volunteered to prepare a draft for the next meeting. First Selectman Dionna Carlson offered to promote it through town communications.
Commissioners also debated whether to retain a charter-revision consultant in addition to legal counsel. Several members — including Todd Lampert, William Parrett and Judy Neville — favored at least researching consultants who specialize in charter work, emphasizing that attorneys can rule on legality but should not steer policy. Others, including Chris LeBris and Angela Jameson, were skeptical of consultants’ value and cost, urging the commission to rely on its own research unless a specific need arises.
Chair Corbet summarized the emerging approach: commissioners will divide the charter’s 21 articles among study teams, publicly notice all interviews, and use the survey and public comment to identify town-wide themes such as elections vs. appointments, term limits, and board structure.
The commission’s next meeting is scheduled December 16th, when assignments, interview lists, draft budget and the draft survey will be reviewed.
