Charter panel hears town council split on appointed boards
Other Committee · Meeting of February 3, 2026
New Canaan's Charter Revision Commission heard town council members split sharply on electing versus appointing key boards. Council Vice Chair Hillary Orond and members Eric Tutum and Mike Rogers argued to keep the board of finance and planning and zoning appointed, while member Christina Ross proposed electing the board of finance, audit committee, ethics commission and inland wetlands commission, plus splitting planning and zoning into two bodies. Member Kim Norton said roughly 85 percent of town government positions are appointed versus 15 percent elected and proposed a preservation commission funded by a fee that could raise $1.5 million a year.
"Appointments are an appropriate executive function, but the cumulative effect matters when too much authority is concentrated in a single office," Norton said. The commission's resident survey has drawn only 49 responses, and commissioners debated mailing postcards to boost turnout before a March target date.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,009 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of February 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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