ANSONIA – Ansonia voters approved four charter revision questions by wide margins Nov. 3, including one which will change how budget referendums are triggered in the city.
The budget referendum question – question two on the ballot – passed by a vote of about 3,505 to 1,450, according to unofficial results from the voter registrars’ office.
The three other charter revision questions passed. Unofficial results are included at the bottom of the story.
New Budget Referendum Rules Passed
The second charter revision question makes it so a budget referendum is triggered when a budget would raise city spending by more than 4 percent. It replaces the previous trigger, where a budget referendum was triggered when a budget would raise “net taxes to be collected” by more than 3 percent.
The change means referendums are no longer directly tied to the city’s proposed tax numbers. They are instead now tied to city spending numbers.
Ansonia Mayor Frank Tyszka, who supported the change, thanked voters in comments after polls closed, referring to the vote as a “mandate” on Ansonia’s budgets going forward.
“They know that I’m going to be honest and balance the budget and be fiscally responsible,” Tyszka said.
Tyszka said he was worried that, if the measure didn’t pass, then Ansonia would be unable to resolve budgetary issues without intervention from the state.
Ansonia Republican Town Committee Chairman Dana Haigh, who opposed the change, said that the change means Ansonia taxpayers will have less say over their bills going forward. He said referendums should include a trigger directly tied to people’s tax bills.
“Removing any safety net for the residents was a very, very bad decision and unfortunate,” Haigh said.
He said the wording of the charter question was confusing and potentially misleading for voters.
“I don’t even think everybody knows what they voted for, and when they get their new tax bills next fiscal cycle, they’re all going to wonder how this happened,” Haigh said.
Jacquelyn Daniels, an Alderwoman from the city’s first ward and head of the Ansonia Democratic Town Committee, said the results show voters are ready for a change in how the city crafts its budgets.
“Tonight’s results specifically send a clear message. It’s time to change how we budget,” Daniels said. “It’s time to take financial responsibility seriously, and it’s time to build a stronger future for our city.”
The Debate
The question generated the most discussion and debate out of any of the charter revision questions on the ballot.
Tyszka administration officials and members of the city’s Democratic party had advocated for the change, saying that it will allow the city to grow its tax base by bringing in more taxpayers. Haigh and other members of the Republican party said the measure would allow elected officials to raise property taxes by higher amounts without asking voters.
Click here for a Valley Indy podcast on the topic.
The old referendum rules were originally passed in a 2013 charter revision. Since then, four budget referendums have been triggered in Ansonia – three in 2025, and one earlier this year.
All city budget proposals which had previously gone to referendum failed.
Elected officials in both Tyszka’s administration and former Mayor David Cassetti’s administration had expressed frustration with the results of budget referendums in the past.
Click here for every story The Valley Indy has written about Ansonia’s charter revision this year.
Other Charter Revision Questions Pass
The three other charter revision questions also passed smoothly. Those changes had bipartisan support from the Democratic and Republican parties.
Question 1 rewrites a budget deadline and extends the public notice period for referendums. The mayor is now required to give a budget to the city’s tax board by the second Monday in March, about a month later than the current deadline. It also requires the public to be given a 10- to 14-day notice period before a budget referendum is held.
Question 3 changes how the chief promotion system works in the fire department, and changes the official titles for fire department chiefs.
Question 4 abolishes the ‘Superintendent of Fire Alarm Systems,’ a position which has been vacant for about 20 years. Click here for a previous Valley Indy podcast episode about the fire department charter changes.
The Ansonia Fire Department issued the following statement Wednesday morning in response to the questions related to the department:
“The Ansonia Fire Chiefs would like to thank the citizens of Ansonia for their support of the Fire Department-related City Charter revisions.
The approval of these revisions represents an important step forward in our efforts to create a stronger, more efficient, and unified fire department.
While there is still much work ahead, these changes bring us one step closer to securing the future of the Ansonia Fire Department for generations to come.
We appreciate the continued trust and support of our community as we work toward a unified fire department dedicated to serving the citizens of Ansonia.”
The Results
Below are unofficial vote tallies for each of the charter revision questions, from the registrar of voters’ office. These numbers were updated at 12:25 a.m. Nov. 4.
- Shall Section 43 of the City of Ansonia Charter be amended to require that the Mayor submit a proposed fiscal year budget to the Board of Apportionment and Taxation no later than the second Monday in March each year and if a public referendum is necessary shall the timeline for the public referendum be changed to no more than fourteen calendar days and no less than ten calendar days after approval by the Board of Aldermen?
YES: 4,121
NO: 809
- Shall a public referendum be held on the budget for the City of Ansonia whenever the Board of Aldermen approves a budget that increases total expenditures by 4% or more compared to the prior fiscal year?
YES: 3,505
NO: 1,450
- Shall Section 129 of the City of Ansonia Charter be amended to replace references to the Fire Superintendent with Fire Chief, establish the process for selecting the second Fire Chief, and specify the appointing authority for members of the Board of Fire Commissioners?
YES: 3,707
NO: 1,107
- Shall Section 130 of the City of Ansonia Charter be eliminated as the Superintendent of Fire Alarms is obsolete?
YES: 3,387
NO: 1,381