Danbury Charter Revision Commission Working Meeting - June 17, 2026
Danbury Charter Revision Commission Working Meeting - June 17, 2026
The Danbury Charter Revision Commission met on Thursday, June 17, 2026, at 7:00 PM to continue its work on the proposed charter revisions. The meeting began with public speaking, followed by approval of minutes, a detailed discussion of Section 6-17 (Board of Education) with the Superintendent and her team, and a line-by-line review of the entire draft charter report. The commission aims to finalize the draft for a public hearing on June 25, 2026, and subsequent adoption.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Michael Henry (11 Castle Road) questioned the compliance of the Board of Education's 11-member composition with state statutes, requested that the commission address all prior public hearing comments, and asked for a review of parks and recreation control and legislative assistant protections. He also suggested recommitting the Board of Education section for further discussion if it falls under the home rule act.
- Louisa Britton (14 Fairfield Avenue, Board of Education Chair) thanked the commission for allowing the board to discuss the adopted Board of Education portion and for working with the superintendent to draft mutually agreeable language.
- Pete Canetta (Topfield Road) expressed appreciation for the process but wished that the Board of Education proposal had been discussed before being presented to the commission.
- Lauriet Bosito (45 Pine Trail) raised concerns about the removal protections for town clerk employees under the proposed appointment system, noting that the mayor could remove them at will, and asked that the commission consider merit system protections.
- Beth Cooper (back one southern blah blah blah) criticized the commission for not inviting the Board of Education leadership to the initial committee meeting, calling it disrespectful, and noted the positive strides made in the city-school relationship.
Discussion Items
- Board of Education Section (6-17): Superintendent Kara Casimiro, joined by her cabinet and board members, expressed concerns about the proposed language requiring the Board of Education to grant the city's finance department access to its financial systems. She argued that state statute (10-222) gives the board exclusive authority over expenditures and that the charter cannot override state law. She cited privacy risks under FERPA, HIPAA, and IDEA, and noted that school district financial systems are purpose-built for educational compliance, not municipal oversight. She proposed changing "shall grant access" to "may grant access" for targeted purposes such as audits. Commissioner Sefranic countered, citing past financial mismanagement with six CFOs, delayed audits, and millions in unspent funds, arguing that "shall" is necessary to ensure taxpayer accountability. Chair Britton noted that the language had been vetted by attorneys, includes student data privacy safeguards, and limits access to one designated finance employee for audit purposes. The commission ultimately agreed to keep "shall" for that specific provision.
- Town Clerk Position: The commission discussed changing the town clerk from an elected to an appointed position, with the mayor appointing and the council confirming. Language was added to require qualifications and certifications, and to ensure that assistant employees remain subject to the merit system.
- Four-Year Terms: The commission confirmed that municipal elections will shift to four-year terms starting in 2027. For the Board of Education, the staggered terms will be unified: in 2027, six members will be elected for four years; in 2029, the remaining five will be elected for two years; and in 2031, all 11 will be elected for four-year terms.
- Bonding Threshold: The threshold for projects requiring a referendum was increased from $3 million to $5 million, adjusted for inflation from the original $3 million benchmark.
- Other Changes: The commission agreed to increase the donation acceptance threshold to $5,000; remove the requirement that unencumbered appropriations can only be transferred within the last four months of the fiscal year; add a code of ethics reference; mandate charter revision at least once every 10 years; and make various technical and gender-neutral language updates.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved with a correction to include the Board of Education discussion, with one abstention from a commissioner who was absent.
- Consensus on Draft Language: The commission reached consensus on all proposed changes to the draft charter report, subject to proofreading by legal counsel. The draft will be circulated for the public hearing.
- Public Hearing Scheduled: The next public hearing is set for Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 7:00 PM, to be followed immediately by a commission meeting to adopt the final draft report.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:54 PM.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Sorry. It is seven o'clock. I am calling the meeting to order. We could all rise Pledge of Allegiance. And I'm gonna ask Superintendent Casimir if you could lead us in the pledge tonight, please. Yeah. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which we stand. One nation, a Gugger God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice Role. You madam Secretary, welcome back. If you would be kind enough to do the roll call, please. My pleasure. Chair Britton. President. Commissioner Safranic. Here. Commissioner Armstrong. Commissioner Hernandez. Yes. Commissioner Jowdy. Commissioner McCarry. Commissioner Putnam. Here. And Commissioner Rivero. Here. As we've been doing at every meeting, the first part here is going to be open for public speaking. I'm going to ask that if members of the public do wish to speak, if you would just state your name and address so the mics can pick you up and can get you into the minutes. Try and keep your comments to three minutes or less. We have a packed room tonight. So I'll make sure everybody can speak and we're not here till midnight. So that being said, are there any members of the public that wish to address the commission councilman Henry? Thank you. Chair of the Commission. Michael Henry, 11 Castle Road, Denver, Connecticut. During discussion last week, the member of Board of Education. Number of Board of Education elected officials came into question as far as 11 under section 2-2. Under the general statutes 9-203205, it mandates local boards must consist of 369 12 to be in compliance. Also, has the commission addressed all public hearing comments from public speakers in this uh commission. As to date, I don't think they have because I've listened to the public speaking. I don't think all have been addressed. Also sent an email to the chairman and the committee. References 6-12 on parks and rec section. Who controls park and recreation? I'm asking for a review of this section park and recs separate from public works with their own maintenance division. So legislative assistance section 3-3. There was a discussion on how to craft language for protections. If there's a change of administration, I suggested a potential majority minority leadership title for a newly elected position. And if uh there's any other discussion or any change on the elected officials for the Board of Ed. If it does fall into the home run or home rule act, or if it doesn't, I'd like to see this section of the charter recommitted for more discussion. Thank you.
openpublica.com