Southington Needs a NO Vote on Referendum Question #1

By Sharon O'Brien

Please note that I’m a Police Commissioner, but am expressing my own opinion as a citizen and tax payer of Southington. 

The Charter was opened for the purpose of making this change.  A Charter Revision Commission was formed, but was NOT representative of this town.  It was limited to five members; there were no female members, no Independents, no Unaffiliateds.   In fact, it was stacked with three Republicans who appeared biased in favor of the changes even before being appointed, and two Democrats.  It was no surprise that three commissioners (guess who?) voted in favor of the change and carried the issue forward.  

The time for the Commission to do its due diligence was limited - just a little over two months before a draft was due to the Council.  There was no clear, transparent discussion; no research; no thoughtful process and no data driven decision making!   

There are many alternatives to concentrating all of the power with one person, the Town Manager.  For example, the Fire and Police Commissioners could be elected,  or the Town Manager and/or the Assistant Town Manager could be appointed to a permanent seat on the commissions, etc.  Why is this such a partisan issue if this change is best for the town?  The Town Manager, who will obtain all of this power if this change is passed, is not accountable to the voters; his only duty is to keep a simple majority of the Town Council happy.  Who will those five Councilors be after Tuesday’s election? And how long will this Town Manager remain in Southington? 

The proposed change in question #1 not only removes the Fire and Police Commissions, it also creates a Public Safety Advisory Board.  The Charter Revision Commission made it perfectly clear that this new board would have no voice or authority what so ever.  Instead, it removes citizen oversight.  Government should be controlled by the people!   

I can honestly say that the members of the Police Commission possess at least the same level of professional credentials as the members of the Town Council, if not more.  They possess experience and expertise in finance; business systems; data; technology;  working with unions and more.  In addition, some have taken classes in police administration. We are in frequent contact with our department and can be reached instantly by cell phone if needed and will be immediately available for any emergency. 

I urge you to vote NO on Referendum Question #1.  Don’t give away your rights - keep citizen involvement in our government!