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Winchester selectmen approve Charter Revision Commission after contested appointments
Summary
The Board of Selectmen voted to form a seven‑member Charter Revision Commission, set deadlines for first meeting and final report, and authorized a stipended recording secretary if the commission requests it. Debate over member selection prompted accusations of backroom decision‑making.
The Winchester Board of Selectmen voted to establish a Charter Revision Commission on Feb. 17, 2025, charging the body to examine the town charter, propose amendments and submit a final report to the town clerk by June 15, 2026, with the intent to place revisions before voters on Nov. 3, 2026.
The motion—made under Connecticut statutes cited in the motion—specified the commission’s duties (including potential changes to the town clerk’s status, extending selectmen terms to four years, limits on concurrent service on multiple boards, and budget‑adoption process reforms) and allowed the commission to recommend “any other items” it deems appropriate. The board set the commission’s first meeting to be called on or before Feb. 25, 2026, and required two public hearings as part of the statutory process.
The board named five resident electors as commission candidates—Candy Perez, Holly Cassidy, Sandra Stuber, Louisa Martinez and Mark Lampanana—and designated two selectmen as non‑voting facilitators. The motion was amended on the floor to correct wording, clarify that the body is a commission, and to adjust facilitator names before the vote.
Discussion on appointments grew heated when one selectman objected that the names had been chosen by caucus rather than through a full board discussion. The selectman who opposed the process said the selection had been handled in private and urged future transparency, saying the practice “damages any goal of transparency” and that decisions had been made “in a dark room.” Other members defended the selection saying the slate provided party and unaffiliated representation and urged the board to move forward.
Separately the board authorized funding from the selectmen’s contingency fund to allow the commission to hire a paid recording secretary at the commission’s discretion. Town Manager Harrington said the position could be a town employee or an outside contractor paid by stipend and that minutes and filings would be filed with the town clerk as required.
Next steps: the town manager will notify appointed members and work with the mayor to set the commission’s first meeting; the commission must hold the statutorily required public hearings and deliver a report to the town clerk by June 15, 2026.
