DERBY — After some extended soul-searching over how to word a question, the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen voted Tuesday to send seven Charter Revision questions to voters Nov. 3.
The questions are as follows:
1. Shall Sections 1, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 26, 28, 29, 37, 52, 53, 56, 57, 63, 67, 68, 70, and 89 of the Charter of the City of Derby be amended to make general changes, update old language, delete obsolete sections, and correct grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors in accordance with the recommendation of the Charter Revision Commission and the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen?
2. Shall Section 4 of the Charter of the City of Derby be amended to change the term of office for all elected officials from two years to four years in accordance with the recommendation of the Charter Revision Commission and the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen?
3. Shall Section 10 of the Charter of the City of Derby be amended to designate the position of Mayor as Full-Time in accordance with the recommendation of the Charter Revision Commission and the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen?
4. Shall Section 16 of the Charter of the City of Derby be amended to update the duties of the Treasurer in accordance with the recommendation of the Charter Revision Commission and the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen?
5. Shall Section 26 of the Charter of the City of Derby be amended to designate the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen as the superior body in the City in accordance with the recommendation of the Charter Revision Commission and the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen?
6. Shall Section 28 of the Charter of the City of Derby be amended to require the Mayor to submit an Annual Budget to the Board of Apportionment and Taxation by March 1 in accordance with the recommendation of the Charter Revision Commission and the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen?
7. Shall Section 55 of the Charter of the City of Derby be amended to allow certain members of the Board of Assessment Appeals to designate an alternate to act in their stead in accordance with the recommendation of the Charter Revision Commission and the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen?
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The questions come after months of work by the Derby Charter Revision Commission, an appointed, bipartisan panel.
Charter Revision isn’t exactly the stuff of sensational headlines. And it’s not like the public is inundating Derby City Hall with emails asking for specific changes to Derby’s blueprint for government — especially during a global pandemic.
However, Derby’s doing what it can to engage the public in the process.
Most of the discussion Tuesday centered on question no. 1.
The question is basically asking voters to allow Derby government to correct typos, delete obsolete sections and amend parts of the charter to allow public notices and such to be published on websites.
Initially Alderman Charles Sampson argued the question was too vague and worried the public would simply vote no. Eventually the Aldermen/Alderwomen, the corporation counsel, and the town/city clerk added words clarifying the types of changes to be made.
At some point prior to Nov. 3, city officials will create and distribute “explanatory language” to provide additional guidance to voters.
Members of the Charter Revision Commission, who worked on a tight deadline this summer to get the matter on the November ballot, purposefully avoided suggesting changes that were controversial or did not have the unanimous support of the bipartisan panel.
The most substantial proposed changes include changing the terms of all elected officials from two years to four years; specifying the mayor’s position is full time, and; giving the mayor a formal role in the annual budget process by requiring the mayor to submit a proposed budget to the Board of Apportionment and Taxation.
Making the mayor’s position full-time will probably result in a pay increase, something that the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen would have to discuss if the measure passes. If voters
approve the measure, it would not go into effect until December 2021.
