Bethany Budget Referendum

The Reason For Sending The Town Budget To A Referendum

By Aileen Magda, Bethany Board of Selectmen

The move to a referendum was made to allow all registered voters to have the opportunity to vote, not just those 50 to 100 voters that normally attend the annual town meeting.  Selectman Don Shea and I have heard from many residents who were upset they could not take part in the voting process because they could not attend the town meeting.   Seniors who don't drive at night are excluded from voting, because the Senior Bus does not run at night, according to our Human Services Director.  People work, travel, care for their children and have other obligations that keep them from attending the meeting, excluding them from the budget vote.   By having a referendum, voters have between 6 am and 8 pm to cast their ballot, or, if they cannot be there, can vote by absentee ballot.  The move to a referendum does not change our form of government. This is not the first time the budget vote has been moved to a referendum.   We will still have discussion on the budget and can request changes be made to the budget at the budget hearing, followed by more discussion at the annual town meeting.  The only thing that has changed is moving the vote to a referendum. 

The move to a referendum is made after the call of the town meeting is signed.  The call of the meeting was signed on May 1st at a special Board of Selectman/Board of Finance meeting to approve the call for the town meeting.  At a special meeting, agenda items cannot be added.  Therefore, moving the vote to a referendum could not be discussed or voted on.  The call of the meeting was again signed on May 12th due to errors on the original call.  

The Board of Selectmen’s vote to move the budget vote to a referendum at our regular May 12th meeting was not “snuck by” at the end of a BOS meeting as one woman has suggested.  Selectman Shea and I have been prohibited from adding items to the Board of Selectmen meeting agendas. Under Robert's Rules of Order, which was the established rules that the BOS was working under, a board member can add an agenda item prior to the meeting and publishing of the agenda.  Also under Robert's Rules, a board member can make a motion and if there is a second, it can be discussed and brought to a vote.  Months ago we were able to have an item placed on an agenda:  Appointment of Animal Control Liasons.  After that, we were not allowed to place items on the agenda.  We were told by the town attorney that we were no longer following Robert’s Rules.  Currently the only way for us to add an item to the agenda is at the end of the meeting, during the “any other matters proper to come before the meeting” section.  And, even then, First Selectman Derry Gorski, states she doesn't have to recognize our motions.  And, as happens quite often, she refused to hear the motion to move the budget vote to a referendum.   The town attorney suggested that the motion be heard and voted on.  The vote was 2 -1, Selectman Shea and I in favor of the referendum,  First Selectman Gorski against the referendum.  The board discussed June 2nd as the referendum date.  Under state statute the referendum must take place no later than two weeks following the town meeting.  June 2nd is the latest date that the referendum can take place, and gives the Town Clerk and the Registrar of Voters the maximum time allowed under state law to prepare for the referendum.

I asked First Selectman Gorski if the Bethany Bulletin could be printed and sent a few days early so town residents could be noticed of the move to the referendum, thereby eliminating the cost of sending out a separate notification.  No response.   I asked if we could make signs informing residents of the referendum.  No response.  Our emails to the First Selectman are rarely returned.  I was asked by a resident at the town meeting why a reverse 911 call informing residents of the change in voting was not made.  That is a decision for the First Selectman to make. 

The cost of the referendum is approximately $2,000, not including mailing costs, which, as mentioned, could have been avoided but will cost approximately $800.   This referendum costs the same as the yearly Amity budget  referendum  and the same as the last three failed Bethany Community School referendums. 

The question has been asked:  Why we didn't let the First Selectman know that Selectman Shea and I were considering moving the meeting to a referendum, to get the word out to those who had planned on voting at the town meeting. Because the First Selectman is not working with us as a Board of Selectmen.  For those who say they are upset with the process of how this referendum came to be, Selectman Shea and I are too.  And I apologize to those who came to the meeting expecting to vote.  There is little communication currently between the First Selectmen and the board.  The town meeting started 15 minutes late because Selectman Shea and I were upstairs attending another meeting, came downstairs, we thought, to find the meeting in progress, only to be told that the First[i] Selectman could not attend and that one of us had to start the meeting.  The First Selectman should have called us, texted, emailed, asked her assistant to contact us or had the town attorney contact us so we would have been aware of the situation and made sure the meeting started on time so people at the meeting weren't  kept waiting for the meeting to being.

Selectman Shea and I are proud to have helped make this year’s budget vote an inclusive process.   All of Bethany’s registered voters will now have the opportunity to vote on this year’s proposed budget that contains a 4.5%  tax increase.