"SHALL THE COMMON COUNCIL BE COMPRISED OF FIFTEEN (15) MEMBERS, CONSISTING OF THREE (3) MEMBERS ELECTED FROM EACH OF THE FIVE (5) COMMON COUNCIL DISTRICTS, WITH THE MINORITY PARTY REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES APPLYING TO EACH OF THE FIVE (5) COMMON COUNCIL DISTRICTS SEPARATELY?"

"SHALL THE REMAINDER OF THE CHANGES TO THE CITY CHARTER, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION, BE APPROVED?"

Change the Collector of Taxes and Town & City Clerk from elective positions to appointed ones.

​

The CRC recommends that the title of the Collector of Taxes be changed to Revenue Collector and the Revenue Collector and the Town & City Clerk be changed from elective positions to appointed positions to ensure certified and qualified professionals in each position. The CRC felt that both the Revenue Collector and the Town & City Clerk should be appointed through a civil service process and that minimum qualifications should be included in the Charter, including a requirement that after one year of service, each such person must be a resident of the City.

​

Return the Common Council election provisions to contain a ward system with a minority party representation requirement in each ward.

​

The CRC recommends that the Common Council be comprised of fifteen (15) members, consisting of three (3) members elected from each of the five (5) common council districts, with the minority party requirements of the Connecticut General Statutes applying to each of the five (5) common council districts separately. The commission also recommends limiting the number of candidates that any political party can run in any of the Common Council districts to two (2) candidates, as well as limiting the number of candidates a voter can vote for in any Common Council district to two (2) candidates. The commission believes this structure will encourage political parties to work together and will support the "one voter, one vote" principle.

 

Include provisions outlining the position of a chief administrative officer to work in conjunction with the mayor for the daily management of the city of New Britain.

​

The CRC recommends that the charter be revised to include a provision requiring a Chief Operations Officer (COO) to assist with the daily management of the City and to perform any tasks, duties, or functions that are within the scope of the duties of the Office of the Mayor and have been delegated by the Mayor to the COO. The commission felt strongly that the COO should be appointed through a civil service process and that minimum qualifications should be included in the charter, including a requirement that after one year of service, the coo must be a resident of the city. the commission recommends this structure of the COO position as it does not alter the strong Mayor system.

 

Amend the charter to require periodic charter review every five years at a minimum, and update the charter to reflect current structure of city government, and make direct references to persons being discussed.

​

Amend the charter to add a new section which will require periodic charter review every five years at a minimum. Beginning no later than January 2027, and no later than every five (5) years thereafter, the Common Council shall appoint a Charter Revision Commission pursuant to the Connecticut General Statutes. This new section will not limit the right of the Common Council to appoint a new CRC sooner than every five (5) years. This provision is recommended because the Charter should be revisited more frequently to address the changing needs of the City. Amend the Charter to remove all gender and title references and replace such references with a direct reference to the person being discussed. Amend the Charter to replace all references to the "Director of the Water Department" to the "Deputy Director of Public Work's Utilities Division." This change is being recommended to reflect the change in the title of said director after the City's departmental reorganization. Remove all duplicative sentences and references to sections that no longer exist.

​

​