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03/04/2020 08:16 AMA little more than a month after convening, the Government Study Committee, charged with researching potential alternatives to Madison’s form of government, is getting ready to hold its first public input session, having already received feedback both Madison officials as well as those in other Connecticut towns.
That session will take place on Monday, March 16, followed by a presentation before the Board of Selectmen on Monday, March 23.
By the time of those meetings, Polito said he and the committee will have spoken to government officials in Cheshire, Guilford, Simsbury, and Wallingford, among others.
Ahead of these events, Committee Chair Bob Polito said that while he and the committee are certainly not ready to settle on any conclusions or rule anything out, he has heard a similar chorus from nearly every government official inside and outside of Madison.
“Everyone seems to come around to the same conclusion…[The] most efficient, and effective form of government is town planner,” he said.
A town manager/town council form of government, though it can vary in many ways, effectively puts the daily administration of government function in the hands of an accredited professional who is not directly elected by residents, but still answers to a board or town council. That person oversees town employees and makes various administrative and planning decisions—responsibilities that in Madison are currently handled by the first selectman, an elected position.
Polito described the position as analogous to a CEO of a company, with the council serving as a board of directors.
Having that administrative, managing position stay consistent instead of changing every two years is one of the big positives that Polito said he has found in his research, saying that it can “give the employees a whole new level of comfort” to continue working for the same person, rather than wondering whether in election will vastly change their day-to-day work experiences or expectations.
“I think that does a disservice to the townspeople, the electorate,” he said.
Clinton recently adopted the town manager/town council form of government. North Branford has operated under that arrangement for more than two decades.
Even in towns that don’t have a town manager, Polito said he said he has heard officials sing the praise of that form of government, including members of Madison’s government.
‘The Holy Grail’
The other issue the committee has been researching is increasing participation, which he called “the holy grail.”
“No one has given me a clear idea of how to increase participation,” Polito said.
Whether it stems from voter apathy or more structural issues, Polito said he was aware that Madison struggles to get residents out for town meetings or other government functions. He said that was a problem at which the committee would continue to look.
The committee was given a charge last December, with the expectation it would serve as a sort of precursor to a full charter review, something that would likely take a more comprehensive look at any issues with Madison’s charter.
Polito and the six other members of the committee are specifically asked to “consider different forms of government permissible under state statute and make recommendations for possible changes to Madison’s government structure and/or charter,” according to the committee’s charge.
Polito again emphasized that the committee is not settling on any conclusions, and said he was looking forward to the March 16 public hearing session, which will mostly serve to solicit input and ideas from residents rather than to present the committee’s findings.
Following that and the presentation to the Board of Selectmen, Polito said the committee might make an April public information session more structured around the research and input it has received so far.
The committee is scheduled to present its final findings in May, though First Selectmen Peggy Lyons has said she is open to extending that deadline.