Charter revision commission will send unified charter to Town Council after rejecting split budget votes

The Town of Coventry Charter Revision Commission voted unanimously May 6 to submit a single revised charter to the Town Council and decided not to recommend splitting the Board of Education and town budget referendum votes.

The commission, chaired by Mike Petro, said it will deliver a report and presentation to the Town Council on May 18 and asked staff to include explanatory language describing the commission's reasoning. Commissioner John Elsesser moved to submit the revised charter as one document; the motion, seconded by Commissioner Tim Liptrap, passed unanimously.

The decision follows public comment from resident Courtney Rossignol, who urged the commission to revisit separate budget votes. Rossignol said voters should have clearer options on school and municipal funding and suggested moving BOE capital improvement and debt-service items into the BOE budget. "I appreciate the option for voters to have a voice and indicate whether the budget is too high or too low," Rossignol said, adding she feared a 'No' vote typically signals only that voters think a budget is too high.

Commissioners discussed practical and policy concerns. Commissioner Jen Beausoleil said research shows few municipalities split budgets and warned splitting could impede shared services and interagency cooperation. Commissioner John Elsesser observed that separating the votes could disadvantage the school budget because more residents do not have school-aged children and could lead to unintended consequences. Commissioner Cheryl Resha emphasized the broader community benefits of supporting the schools, including local property values.

Staff and officials reviewed technical edits to the draft charter. Alex Taylor, Special Projects Coordinator, said language on a 3% attendance threshold for special town meetings was standardized based on Registrars of Voters' guidance to reference "the latest official lists of the Registrars of Voters." Taylor also noted the Registrars recommended that certification and training remain governed by state statute rather than added to the charter. The commission clarified that registrars use the active voter list printed before a meeting for verification.

Members also discussed an attorney interpretation that items other than the annual budget in a Town Meeting call can be adjourned to a referendum and that ordinances could be referred for discussion at Town Meeting and then decided by referendum 7–14 days later. Town Manager James Drumm and several commissioners said they would like a formal legal opinion letter on file to document the interpretation before relying on it in practice.

The commission adjusted explanatory language about historical Charter positions, noting that duties for the Tree Warden and Animal Control Officer have been absorbed into Public Works and the Police Department rather than labeled "minor" or "non-supervisory." The change, the commission said, gives the town flexibility and avoids duplicative charter approvals.

The panel also noted practical considerations for referendum timing and cost: the revised charter vote will appear on the November ballot to increase turnout, and commissioners observed that standalone referenda can cost roughly $3,000 to $4,000. The commission cancelled its May 21 meeting (which coincides with the Annual Town Meeting) and will reconvene only if the Town Council requests revisions prior to that body's public hearing window through the end of June.

The Commission adjourned at 7:56 PM.