The City Charter is like the City’s Constitution. Norwalk’s current charter was written in 1913 and last revised in 1951. It is just as old and out-dated as that sounds—plus it is disorganized and so badly written that it is barely readable.
A commission of seven residents (Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters) spent a year working with a very experienced attorney to reorganize and rewrite the Charter. They left the current government structure in place, but made the document readable and clear.
The question on your ballot will be:
Shall the Charter be revised to clarify and streamline government operations and standards, maintain a two-year mayoral and council term, expand the police and fire commissions from two to four members, establish procedures to enhance public participation in the budget process, and require charter review every five years with an initial review in two years?
Our Town Clerk has prepared a summary explanation of the charter revisions.
The proposed revised charter is also available for review. If you want to read the whole new charter, focus on the 83 pages of Part I, which lays out the operations of our city government. Part II covers the Taxing Districts, which have not yet been revised, and Part III saves all the old powers just in case we need them someday.
This is a velocipede, a precursor to modern bicycles that haven’t been used since WWI. One of the powers of the Common Council in the current Charter is to regulate them. Time for an update!
