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Commission decides to revisit constable and sheriff provisions; no removal vote tonight
Summary
After an extended discussion about the historic roles of constables and sheriffs and whether they remain necessary, the commission deferred any final change and added the item to a list for further review at a subsequent meeting.
The Charter Vision Commission on May 5 discussed whether to remove elective constable and sheriff provisions from the draft charter but did not adopt a removal; commissioners agreed to revisit the matter at a later meeting and to gather more information from affected stakeholders.
The commission heard sustained debate: some members said constables are a historical holdover whose duties are largely supplanted by marshals, probate or police; others said constables still perform service-of-process and probate functions and had argued in public hearings for retention. Staff noted relevant state statutory references (CGS 9‑200, 7‑92 and 9‑185) and recommended further review with the probate court and the CFO before taking final action. Several commissioners suggested a practical transition — for example, making any change effective for the 2029 election cycle — if the commission ultimately removes the positions.
Outcome: The commission did not remove the constable or sheriff sections; it placed the topic on the list for the next meeting alongside the unresolved operating‑budget definition and asked staff to return with more detail and feedback from the CFO and legal office.
Why it matters: Removing elected positions changes ballot content and can affect how civil processes are served locally; the commission noted there are real-world operational differences between constables, marshals and other service providers and that some probate court business relies on existing roles.
Next steps: Staff will solicit input from the CFO, corporation counsel and relevant courts and present options (including phased or delayed effective dates) at the next meeting.
