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After two ballot articles fail, Fairfield council plans secret‑ballot special election and reviews budget options
Summary
Following the failure of Articles 2 and 14 on June 9, the council discussed scheduling a special secret‑ballot election, estimated to cost about $3,219, and reviewed options to reduce the next fiscal year budget, including delaying hiring for a six‑month administrative position and the impact of a new IT contract.
Town Manager Flewelling told the council that Articles 2 and 14 failed at the June 9 election and outlined next steps for putting a revised budget before voters. She said a properly constituted Special Town Meeting requires about 50 participants for an open floor meeting but recommended a secret‑ballot election, estimating the cost at roughly $3,219 and noting approximately $16,000 remains in the election account.
Flewelling explained the timeline to move forward: council agreement on a proposed budget, a meeting with the Budget Committee, mailings to residents, a public hearing and then the vote. To reduce the proposed budget, she suggested delaying hiring for an administrative position for six months. She also said the newly awarded IT contract (reported in the meeting as $31,308) increases next year’s costs by about $25,000; she suggested using $10,000 from the current year to offset next year’s IT costs, which could yield an estimated $14,000 net savings under her scenario.
Council members discussed staffing levels, service continuity and the challenge of providing online services to residents who prefer in‑person assistance. The council recommended the Town Manager schedule a joint Council‑Budget Committee meeting to prepare a new budget proposal for a secret‑ballot vote.
