Residents urge slower Danbury charter revision; debate over 4-year mayoral terms, Town Clerk reclassification

The Charter Revision Commission heard more than two hours of public comment on June 25 as residents and elected officials urged a slower, more transparent revision process and debated several proposed changes, including shifting mayoral and Town Clerk terms and proposed Board of Education language.

At the opening of the hearing, Chair Joseph W. Britton read the legal notice and a quorum was established. Kevin Guidotti, a resident, opened the public comment period by asking the commission to slow the revision process and increase public input. Many speakers who followed echoed his request, describing the timeline as rushed.

Several recurring concerns dominated the remarks. Multiple residents and three City Council members—Ryan Hawley, Candace Fay and Michael Coelho—raised objections to proposed four-year terms for elected officials, arguing longer terms could reduce accountability and make it harder to recruit candidates. Emile Buzaid said longer terms “take away some accountability,” while Jan Maria Jagush and others outlined reasons they believe four-year terms could provide continuity.

Town Clerk Laure Esposito and Assistant Town Clerk Jennifer Dorin urged the Commission to reconsider reclassifying the Town Clerk from an elected office to an appointed position. Esposito said staff consistency across administrations was important and warned that appointment could permit mayoral removal. Dorin asked that any reclassification explicitly reference the applicable state statute that governs Town Clerk oversight.

Board of Education concerns also featured prominently. Lauren Daley, who identified herself as Board of Education secretary, read a BOE statement opposing proposed language changes — notably use of the word “shall” — and flagged student privacy and the need to preserve independent BOE governance. Several speakers, including Christina Sweeney, said the proposed BOE wording could conflict with state statutory oversight.

Other issues raised included a proposed increase in the city’s borrowing authority to $5 million, calls for an Ethics Commission, the removal of religious language from the oath of office, and concern that mayoral appointment powers (including filling vacancies and appointing a fifth reapportionment member) would concentrate executive power without sufficient Council oversight. Mike Henry, a council member, suggested precise edits across multiple charter sections to preserve checks and balances, including requiring Council approval for certain mayoral actions and replacing mandatory “shall” language with “may” where state statute conflicts could arise.

Supporters of the Commission’s recommendations also spoke. Lou Giordano, a council member, told the commission he supported modernizing government structures, including four-year terms and the proposed changes intended to professionalize some positions and reduce politicization.

The Commission closed the public hearing after the public comment period. Commissioner Michael Safranek moved — and Commissioner Mary Jean Rebeiro seconded — to close the hearing; the motion carried unanimously. A subsequent motion to adjourn also carried unanimously. The hearing concluded at 8:47 p.m.

Next steps: The record of comments will be part of the Commission’s deliberations; the transcript shows many speakers asked for more time and more public outreach before final charter language is advanced.