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New Canaan CRC votes to keep Board of Selectmen at three members
Summary
After a round-robin discussion, the Charter Revision Commission voted to retain the town's three-member Board of Selectmen rather than expand to five, with the motion carrying by an 8–2 margin.
The New Canaan Charter Revision Commission voted April 6 to keep the town's Board of Selectmen at three members, rejecting a proposal to expand the board to five. The motion to maintain the status quo carried by eight votes in favor and two opposed.
Supporters of keeping a three-member board argued that a smaller board promotes transparency because fewer opportunities exist for informal caucusing outside public meetings. "The transparency is more important in my opinion," said one commissioner during the round-robin. Opponents argued that a five-member board could ease operational workload and allow broader representation.
After a motion to keep the three-member structure, the commission conducted a roll-call vote. The chair announced that the motion carried with eight yeses and two nos. The decision will be incorporated into the commission's draft charter language; commissioners said they will proceed to finalize related edits in upcoming meetings ahead of the public hearing.
The vote ended a sustained discussion that touched on minority-party representation, parity with the 12-member town council and whether safeguards should be added if the board expanded. No changes to the charter text were adopted that would expand the board at this meeting; commissioners who favor change said they may revisit the issue with additional analysis in a later draft.
