Simsbury Government Changes Proposed In Charter Review

SIMSBURY, CT — A review of the town's governing document is nearly complete, with the Simsbury Charter Revision Commission hosting a special meeting Tuesday to make a major decision.

The Simsbury Charter Revision Commission is having a special, in-person meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at Simsbury Town Hall at 6 p.m.

Residents will be allowed to comment on the changes during the public audience component of the commission agenda.

Afterward, the commission will set a public hearing date and the agenda for its Jan. 21 meeting.

The Simsbury Town Charter is a major municipal document that, essentially, outlines how the Town of Simsbury operates.

For example, a major charter change nearly a decade ago brought Simsbury its current town manager-board of selectmen form of government.

This charter change represents a major review of that charter change, which drastically changed Simsbury's form of government.

Simsbury First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis said Monday that once the charter review board votes on a recommended charter change, selectmen then have some work to do.

The selectmen's vote will be preceded by a board of selectmen hearing at a future selectmen meeting, she said.

Mackstutis said a final vote from voters on the charter is likely this fall during the November elections.

Key changes, she said, would then be implemented for the 2027 municipal elections.

The charter group has been meeting since late 2024 while looking at Simsbury's governing document, reviewing all components.

Among some of the major decisions being recommended and/or kept, according to the commission's draft report, are:

• Keep selectmen terms at two years and not stagger them.

• Keep the first selectman position as one elected by the voters (not by the board).

• Clarify the role of the first selectman as the main connection between the town manager and the board of selectmen.

• Keep two separate planning and zoning commissions. Simsbury has a zoning board and a separate planning board for land-use matters.

• In one change, it is being pitched that when a board/commission has alternates, the alternates being seated be from the same party as the absent, full member.

• In another change, attendance requirements are included for appointed board/commission members.

• Removed the requirement to post the entire town budget in a newspaper, instead mandating a summary, resulting in cost savings to taxpayers.

• Eliminate the Simsbury Economic Development Commission as a regular, town board.

• The charter also formalizes the names of town departments and the job titles of those in charge of those departments.

• Enact ordinance creating a Simsbury Open Space Committee.

• Several language tweaks, fixes, and clarifications throughout the document.

For all documents related to Simsbury's proposed charter change, click on this link.

To watch the Simsbury Charter Revision Commission's meeting on YouTube, click on this link.