ANSONIA – The Ansonia Board of Aldermen voted to create a Charter Revision Commission that could change the city budget process to match what elected officials are doing.
During the board’s monthly meeting on March 12, the Aldermen adopted a resolution that gives Mayor David Cassetti 30 days to name members to the commission.
This move follows a Valley Indy story looking at whether there were consequences for violating the budget schedule outlined in the city charter, and whether the administration’s budget scheduling ran afoul of the public’s right to know.
The Ansonia City Charter is the blueprint for city government. It dictates everything from the mayor’s powers to the length of elected terms.
In 2014, Mayor Cassetti’s administration asked voters to approve adding a budget schedule to the charter. The new schedule was authored by Ansonia Corporation Counsel John Marini.
Voters said yes, but the administration hasn’t followed the schedule it created since 2015.
The administration says that the deadlines in the schedule are too early and force the city to create a budget before city officials know how much state aid will arrive.
The charter schedule created by the Cassetti administration says the Aldermen must adopt a budget by April 30. However, the mayor isn’t even scheduled to make his budget public this year until April 25.
Last month, the Board of Aldermen voted to disregard its charter once again, over concerns from Alderman Steven Adamowski that they may be violating their oaths of office.
The resolution adopted on March 12 states that the Charter Revision Commission will “explore revisions that modernize the budget process, and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the City government, and result in cost savings for the benefits of the taxpayers of Ansonia.”
Any recommended changes must go to voters for approval.
State law lays out a couple of requirements for the members Cassetti will appoint: no more than one-third can currently hold public office, and no more than a bare majority may be members of one political party (for example, if the Commission had five members, only three could be Republicans).
This is the fourth time the Cassetti administration has formed a Charter Revision Commission. In 2014, the commission resulted in a voter-approved overhaul of the city’s budget process.
In 2015 and 2018, charter revision commissions were sent back to the drawing board after it was revealed that Cassetti’s appointments ran afoul of state law. Specifically, they included too many elected officials.
Neither of those commissions sent any revisions to the ballot.
Ansonia Town Clerk Beth Lynch said the deadline for any questions to be added to this November’s ballot is Sept. 20, according to the state election calendar.
Lawyer Says Aldermen Can Change Charter Without Public Input
While the Aldermen voted to take the first step toward Charter Revision, corporation counsel Marini pointed out they didn’t have to do it.
Two days after The Valley Indy published its story on the charter violations, Marini emailed The Valley Indy a section of Connecticut state law that allows a legislative body to modify its budget timelines.
Marini said the Aldermen could even use that law to permanently change the charter’s deadlines without seeking voter approval.
While the administration has been violating its charter for nine years, this is the first time elected officials pointed to the state law for justification.
The Aldermen voted unanimously to cite the Connecticut state law in their decision to modify this year’s budget timeline – and this year’s process only. Any permanent budget schedule changes will be left for the Charter Revision Commission to propose.
In his discussion with the Aldermen, Marini said that they are allowed to disregard certain sections of the charter.
“You are the sole municipal authority, the highest municipal authority, and as long as your action doesn’t conflict with a state statute or federal law, then it’s in your court to decide what to do,” he said.
Marini said last month that the Aldermen are effectively the “charter police” – and that when charter rules are broken, they decide the consequences.
The deadline for Cassetti to appoint commission members is Thursday, April 11. He is allowed to appoint between five and fifteen members to the commission.
