The Charter Revision Commission would be wise to learn from the past

Monday, March 03, 2008
Time: 10:56 AM

For those who are unaware, right now one of the most important documents in Danbury is going through a makeover process.

Many consider the city of Danbury charter the city's constitution and is basically the set of rules in which the city's government is suppose to follow (in theory anyway).

Every once in a while, a mayor will create a charter revision committee to take a look at the charter and propose revisions. This is due in large part because like the constitution, the city charter is a living document that needs to be updated for Danbury's changing landscape.

This bring us to this tidbit about a topic that's been a thorn in the side for decades...the position of City Clerk. During the portion of the charter revision commission where the public could offer their input, several people came forward and requested the the position of City Clerk be eliminated.

I found it ironic that most of the rationale behind the elimination of this useless position was echoed 21 years ago when the charter was under revision consideration.

The News-Times editorial, June 8 1987:



Portion boxed in blues reads as the following:
If the council members are serious about the need for a staff, they would suggest eliminating the city clerk's job as an elected position. The clerk is supposed to be a functionary of the council, but as an elected official is traditionally loyal to the mayor.

In the place of the city clerk, an administrative aide's position could be created that would be under Civil Service - to endure professionalism - but responsible to the council, not the mayor. This person could do research for council members and keep tabs on council requests for information from the mayor or departments.


Hopefully, the current charter revision commission will learn from the past as the same complaints about this position from twenty years ago still persist today.



Food for thought.

posted by ctblogger at 10:56 AM | Permalink|

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