[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6149839,"mediaKeyId","5510470-89b648fba406c594c376fbeda0119801","parentId",5510470,"title","Common Council sends 21 proposed charter amendments to Charter Vision Commission; several items split","audioSeconds",308,"startMs",825000,"endMs",1133000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5510470-89b648fba406c594c376fbeda0119801&start=825&end=1133","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5510470-89b648fba406c594c376fbeda0119801/thumbnail_825000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6149839/Norwalk-City/Fairfield/Connecticut/Common-Council-sends-21-proposed-charter-amendments-to-Charter-Vision-Commission-several-items-split","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6149839-707a951a5b77600899c6bb055dba668c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770580890&Signature=Z8iMyRDuSBzGe5YaqbzE30O2E8SL0ZV~LcoZd4-U3E6XfRkPbLDpmB8Z5Vdv3DRf7jawDyP-xGfUNL5VZ4CtBCYj5G0obAp-CiTFE2JB15UP-fUEk7EMqpm5YocmSpKZXHd8fn4qs4VxZraRNAB0fLA7cCLmatb558ZDyLFOLF4oPXQmJf-nfk4lwCPOKEj9L8zlOVNj6U~2FVHcuv7Es7Wvyr8SBjcKAj3Oi68iVxo~OK8npiSlvplJAi~FpAxH3iVP3WKIvdWO2JctzYYqY8-3zcJRbFho9xFdCpF5hyrCZhk9Qn7SeGI6-IPnV14ndTX5kPaRAdSCZxBeBHVWvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norwalk City, CT","date","2025-07-31T01:36:47.557Z","article","Common Council representatives on July 29 presented 21 proposed changes to the Norwalk City charter to the Charter Vision Commission, including contested proposals on at‑large council seats, council compensation, and budget‑setting rules.

The council’s package — read into the record by a council representative and transmitted to the commission for conferral — included measures to change the body’s name from “Common Council” to “City Council,” retain 15 council members and two members per district, expand at‑large membership by two seats with nomination limits to protect minority representation, add council authority to hire staff, require disclosure of applicants for boards and commissions, create separate caps for general government and Board of Education appropriations, move several budget dates, and limit modification of the final budget by the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET).

The council official who read the list said some items passed by consent, while others drew split council votes. Several items that drew debate in the commission meeting were identified in council materials as “split vote” or “full consent” when transmitted. The proposal to expand at‑large seats and structure nominations so the top seven vote‑getters would win drew a recorded 8–6 council recommendation to the commission. Term lengths for mayor, town clerk and council members were recommended as four years and the council reported that item passed unanimously at the council level (members who recused themselves at the meeting later returned to vote).

Why it matters: The package would reshape council representation, compensation and budget processes if adopted by voters. Commissioners and council members repeatedly framed several items as tools to improve equity and transparency — for example, making it easier for candidates with caregiving responsibilities to serve — while other participants warned some changes could be politically contentious or risk unintended consequences in close elections.

What was said: Council members and commissioners debated several specifics. Councilmember Steve (last name not specified in the transcript) described his at‑large proposal as an attempt to preserve voters’ choice while protecting minority representation: “we’re not gonna take away voters choice. We wanna give voters the ability to decide, who represents them,” he said, and explained the mechanism would mirror existing nomination limits used in other municipal races. Attorney Steve Mednick summarized the legal difference between compensation and expense reimbursement: “if it’s strictly compensation, it requires under state law, the referendum,” he said, adding an expense reimbursement model would be handled differently in the budget process.

On council compensation, the council proposed either a baseline salary equal to 3% of the mayor’s salary or an expense‑reimbursement approach with a cap. Supporters said the change would improve equity and recruitment; critics warned a referendum to increase pay could become politically toxic. Several council members favored the expense‑reimbursement option as politically easier to pass.

On council staffing, proponents urged giving the council authority to appoint and fund administrative staff so the legislative body could perform independent oversight and outreach. Opponents and some commissioners asked for guardrails, such as caps or budgetary checks, noting the Board of Estimate currently holds appropriation authority.

Other items: The council asked that the charter retain a 15‑member council and two members per district (items marked in the council materials as “full consent”); asked that the council be able to require disclosure of applicants’ names and resumes prior to appointment (with an applicant request option for temporary nondisclosure); and proposed moving several budget deadlines so the Board of Education and city budget calendars better align with cap setting and BET hearings.

Next steps: Commissioners asked council members to return for follow‑up at the commission’s next meetings (the transcript shows the commission scheduled additional sessions July 30 and Aug. 5). Commissioners said some proposals will require more drafting and public outreach before the commission issues a final recommendation for a ballot question.

Votes at a glance: The council forwarded a 21‑item package to the Charter Vision Commission; several items were noted as “full consent” by the council when transmitted, while others were “split vote.” The at‑large nomination structure (item 6 in the council packet) carried an 8–6 council recommendation. The recommendation to set four‑year terms for mayor, town clerk and council passed the council vote unanimously (two members recused during discussion but the record shows unanimous passage at final council action). The council materials marked items 3, 4 and 5 as full consent and items 6, 7, 8, 10, 14–16, and 21 as split votes (details below). The commission will take up the items for conferral and potential rewording before a final public referral.

Ending: Commissioners scheduled further discussion; council representatives said they would provide draft charter language and be available to answer technical questions in the next commission meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Charter Revision Commission 07-29-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Common Council representatives on July 29 presented 21 proposed changes to the Norwalk City charter to the Charter Vision Commission, including contested proposals on at‑large council seats, council compensation, and budget‑setting rules.","taxTitle","Norwalk City, Fairfield, Connecticut","taxId",4245,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6149834,"Norwalk Public Schools officials tell commission accelerated budget timeline would force school budgeting into winter months",500,67000,567000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5510470-89b648fba406c594c376fbeda0119801&start=67&end=567","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5510470-89b648fba406c594c376fbeda0119801/thumbnail_67000.jpg","/articles/6149834/Norwalk-City/Fairfield/Connecticut/Norwalk-Public-Schools-officials-tell-commission-accelerated-budget-timeline-would-force-school-budgeting-into-winter-months","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6149834-509e325beccbbd0500b2e6ea9144e19f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770580890&Signature=PF~zfwAyN00vHj5ZKPMpuvZIvQRRmtchzVypAevJnp9-gX797qeXZp4jUlxcadgm~XZ4cpFPZRLft8kov958yDKO5sp9lMFLSRYApRaK223d071nEfysXF5S00CFm0emvC9d04ieM4byqiNUWLwiFtTmXsE~abM6hMZgS2VBvmyVs2J17yoFr6G2inYLkUFhy7dS1pi~6yLCAM3sCCITvvmvtaE8CPf7XthCZWaATRVZjiXi5K16Y4hkEK1Z5T8a4cnWG8V0zm0ypiKeO5FLdBktnDAon7uivD2xMZyMXgO2FWjPRSQ8eDwVC3z6dyHCsnPnUChcsW07TMu~6NZmyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Norwalk Public Schools officials told the Charter Vision Commission on July 29 that a proposed change to require a reconciled Board of Education budget by the council’s cap‑setting date would compress the district’s school‑based budget process into the winter holidays and early semester and could undermine careful, school‑level budgeting.

The remarks came during the commission’s public participation portion and when commissioners discussed council proposals to move certain budget deadlines. Officials emphasized they support transparency and collaboration with the city but said timing matters.

\"The budget for Norwalk Public Schools is more than a financial document. It's the result of a fluid and collaborative process that spans several months,\" the chair of the Board of Education Finance Committee told commissioners during public comment. The speaker said the committee \"has no objection to working within two separate budget caps or submitting a line item budget before the common council's cap setting,\" but warned that meeting an earlier deadline would force principals and school budget teams to do intensive planning in December and January rather than the usual March and April.

Superintendent (name not specified in the meeting record) told the commission, \"We have no objection to the city's request for the submission of a ... line item budget or to the idea of setting budget caps in two phases as the district has done in the past,\" but said the proposed calendar would create real challenges for the school‑based budgeting process. She said compressing the process would place \"added strain on staff and limit the time needed for inclusive thoughtful planning.\"

Lunda Smani, identified in remarks as chief financial officer for Norwalk Public Schools, provided specifics: under the current timeline the reconciled Board of Education budget is typically presented in April or May after school‑based meetings in March and April; to meet a March 21 cap the district would need to complete school‑based budgeting in December and January and present a Board of Education budget for approval around March 3 — nearly 90 days earlier than the current practice. Smani also noted the district does not receive some key information, such as health‑insurance rates, until April in most years.

\"Requiring the Board of Ed to present a reconciled budget in March would mean that the entirety of the process that we now complete in May ... would be needed to be completed by March,\" Smani said. She and other district speakers nevertheless said they were willing to submit a reconciled budget and to work with separate caps — but they asked the commission to consider timing that protects the school process.

Why it matters: The Board of Education controls programmatic and staffing decisions that affect classroom services; compressing the timeline would concentrate planning work during critical instructional months and could reduce time for engagement with principals, school governance councils and families.

What commissioners and council members asked: Commissioners asked whether a later council cap date or other calendar adjustments could provide a workable solution. Lunda Smani suggested a cap date later than March 21 would allow the district to produce a reconciled, cap‑compliant line‑item budget without shifting the school‑based process into December and January.

Ending: Commissioners invited district leaders to return for further conferral and asked council members to join future meetings to negotiate calendar changes. The commission scheduled more meetings to finish the charter conferral process before Aug. 5.","Board of Education leaders, the superintendent and the district chief financial officer told the Charter Vision Commission that requiring a reconciled Board of Education budget by the council cap‑setting date (March 21) would force school‑based budgeting into December and January and could disrupt instruction and planning.","actionData","errors"]

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Common Council sends 21 proposed charter amendments to Charter Vision Commission; several items split

Norwalk Public Schools officials tell commission accelerated budget timeline would force school budgeting into winter months