WESTBROOK - On Nov. 6, town voters in Westbrook will be asked to vote on whether or not to adopt the town's first-ever town charter. If adopted, the charter will be the single legal document underpinning Westbrook town government structure and operational authority.

The charter document that voters are asked to weigh defines a town government with a modified structure from the town's existing Board of Selectmen/Town Meeting form. The modified structure, while preserving many of the existing town positions, boards and commissions, and Town Meeting, would fundamentally alter one position, that of the first selectman.

Under the proposed town charter, the chief executive of Westbrook's town government would be a full-time, appointed town manager instead of the current full-time, elected first selectman. The elected, part-time first selectman would instead chair the Board of Selectmen, whose role would be to set policy for the town, with the town manager responsible for the town's day-to-day work.

Under the proposed charter, the Board of Selectmen would have two main powers: the power to adopt policy for town government and the power to set the compensation for town officers and employees of the town.

The appointed town manager, under the new charter, would be the town's chief executive officer. The town manager would "supervise, direct, and be responsible to the Board of Selectmen for overseeing the administration of finance, public works, welfare, health, public safety, tax assessment, and such other officers and departments as the Board of Selectmen may direct."

The town manager also would "supervise and direct the finance director, whose advice and assistance the town manager shall seek with regard to financial matters affecting the town and to whom the town manager may delegate authority with regard to specific financial matters, subject to the approval of the Board of Selectmen."

Three years ago, after years of pressure from the town's outside auditors, the selectmen hired a professional town finance director whose job is to manage the town's financial affairs. This includes preparing routine financial reports, developing the town budget, providing staff support to the Board of Finance, the Board of Selectmen, and to other town departments, and supervising the town's finance and accounting department.

The charter also changes the size of the Board of Selectmen and their terms. The board would have five members instead of the current three. The charter also sets the terms of the first selectman's and two of the five selectmen at four years instead of the current two and the terms of the other two selectmen at two years.

The Ballot Question

On Nov. 6, Westbrook's voters will be asked to decide whether or not to approve the town's first-ever town charter. The final legal language of the Charter was recommended by vote of a majority of the members of the town's Charter Study Commission.

The language of the ballot question on the town charter as set by the Board of Selectmen reads as follows:

"Shall the Town of Westbrook adopt the proposed Charter including a Town Meeting, 5 member BOS and Town Manager form of government as recommended by the Charter Commission in its final report dated 1/23/12?"

A vote to approve the charter question would make the town charter document the new enabling legislation around which a modified town government would be organized.

A vote to oppose the proposed charter keeps in place the current mix of state statutory provisions and town ordinances that provide the legal basis for the current organization of Westbrook's town government.

The Charter Text

The proposed town charter is a legal document that, if approved, would be the enabling legislation for town government. It comprises a series of chapters on topics relating to the modified town government's organization, structure, and the roles of its appointed and elected town officers, officials, boards, and commissions.

The document begins with an article of town incorporation for the body politic and corporate entity that is defined as the Town of Westbrook.

What follows are chapters titled Elections, Elected Offices, The Board of Selectmen, Town Meeting, Appointed Officers, Town Manager, Appointed Boards and Commissions, Finance and Taxation, Minority Representation, and Transition. The chapters' text lists town positions and identifies which are appointed and which are elected.

For some positions, the charter lists the town officer or official's role, responsibilities, and reporting lines. Also in the charter are a list of the town's appointed and elected Boards and Commissions including one new one, an appointed town Ethics Commission.

Copies of the proposed Town Charter document are available for review in the Office of the First Selectman and in the Town Clerk's Office. The charter is also posted with this story at the Harbor News website www.zip06.com and on the town's website http://westbrookct.us. On the town site, click on the Town Charter heading that appears in the left margin of the town's home page; that click takes users to the town Charter Commission's webpage where the Jan. 23, 2012 Town Charter is posted.