Charter commission votes to keep New Canaan town treasurer an elected office
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Summary
The Town of New Canaan Charter Revision Commission voted 9–1–1 April 1 to retain the town treasurer as an elected position after a lengthy debate about checks and balances, statutory requirements and possible alternatives.
The Town of New Canaan Charter Revision Commission voted April 1 to keep the town treasurer as an elected office, approving a motion by voice/roll call 9–1 with one abstention.
The vote followed an extended discussion about whether the position should remain elected, be appointed by town leaders, or become a town employee. Chair Kathleen opened the item as a discrete vote before proceeding with detailed article edits; commissioners then heard arguments on both sides and took a roll call.
Why it mattered: supporters said an elected treasurer provides an independent check on municipal finances and unique access to both town and board of education records. Bill Perrette, introduced by the chair, framed the role as a critical oversight function and said the job requires forensic understanding of municipal finance; "I'm not a rubber stamp guy," he said, adding that "checks and balances are actually a good thing." Chris Labrie argued keeping the position elected preserves a structure that "mirrors the structure of the state" and recommended a short term if retained.
Opponents and alternatives: a few commissioners signaled openness to alternative models or additional safeguards — including stronger documentation, subcommittee oversight, or making the role part of a finance subcommittee — but the prevailing view at the vote was to retain the status quo while addressing procedural clarifications in the draft charter.
The motion and outcome: a commissioner moved to "keep the town treasurer remaining as elected" and the motion was seconded by Christina Ross. The chair called the roll; the meeting secretary recorded nine yes votes, one no and one abstention, and the motion passed.
Next steps: commissioners directed staff to continue revising articles in the draft report (six versions have been posted to the commission's draft folder) and to fold the treasurer decision into the final May 4 submission. The commission then proceeded to additional article reviews, including several language cleanups and definitions.
