Bristol Looks To Extend The Length Of The Mayor's Term

By Dean Wright, The Bristol Press

January 12, 2022

Bristol City Council moved to appoint the creation of a Charter Revision Committee Tuesday evening in the hopes of adding two changes to the way the city operates, one extending the length of the mayor’s term of office and the second to strengthen minority party representation on the council.

The council will ask the charter revision committee to consider changes and then they will be brought before the public during a future election.

“The two we’ve discussed as a council are to consider a four-year term for the office of mayor,” said Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano. “This has been something that has been looked at many years past and we would like them to consider that again. The other item is to consider to expand or amend our city council to consider minority (party) representation within the city council.”

The mayor noted that over the last few elections, there had been successive “full-slate, on-party rule.”

“We all got together and discussed it and said let’s do the right thing for government,” said Caggiano. “The right thing for government is a four-year term for the mayor so they can get an agenda and follow through rather than start running for office literally a year after they get in… It makes sense. Most towns do that.”

The mayor also noted that within the city’s charter, there was minority representation on its other committees and boards. He said the Bristol Public Schools Board of Education also has a form of this.

“It’s just one of those things that’s almost uniform throughout every municipality and town in Connecticut, but for some reason we’ve never codified this on City Council,” he continued.

Instead of a six member council, the mayor suggested the possibility for the city having a nine member council. Within those nine members, three would come from each council district and the top three vote winners will become council members. Bristol currently has three voting districts.

“It will guarantee that you have to have at least three of the (minority party) represented,” said Caggiano. “That’s the simplest way to do it. A lot of towns do at-large and other things.”

The mayor noted that the City Council can charge the charter revision committee to look at its suggestions, however, the committee can also discuss its own potential changes as to what should ideally go in the charter. Ultimately, the charter revision committee will send its suggestions back to the City Council, the council can then choose to not agree and send back a revision or agree to the committee’s decisions. Should both organizations agree, the would-be changes to the charter come before the city’s voters to then consider.

The mayor said he felt that moving forward with charter revisions this year was important because it’s a non-municipal official voting year.

“I don’t think we’ve done a good job with charter revision and referendum questions in the past. There’s just too much stuff going on,” said the mayor. “I was running for mayor last time and I feel the vast majority of the public was surprised by the questions (on the ballot about charter changes).”

Council members discussed the potential of redistricting, whether that would need to be considered in an ordinance or charter revision. The mayor said that was something the council could consider through an ordinance but it would likely also be discussed in the charter revision committee.

The committee is to draft a final report to be given to the council by June 24. The members chosen for the committee serving as Republicans are Jon Fitzgerald, Dante Tagariello and Melanie McKinley. Democrats appointed to the committee are Daniel Micari, Richard Calvin Brown and Michelle Ann Roalf.