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11/11/2018 11:00 PMThe votes are in and the State of Connecticut has confirmed that the town of Clinton will transfer to a town manager/town council form of government on Nov. 19, 2019. The charter change, which was ballot question number three on the Nov. 6 ballot, passed by 4,317 votes to 1,540.
Under a town manager form of government, a professional, accredited town manager answerable to a seven-member town council will act as the town’s chief executive, taking on many of the duties handled by the current first selectman. The elected town council would hire or fire the town manager. It is estimated that the town manager salary would start at around $126,000.
In this form of government, the town council would be composed of the four candidates who get the highest number of votes in an election elected to a four-year term, and the next three highest vote-getting candidates elected to a two-year term for the initial town council elected in November 2019. After that election, all town council members would serve four-year terms. The hiring or firing of the town manager would require at least a 5-2 majority vote by the town council.
Under the town manager form of government, the Board of Finance will be eliminated. Instead, the town manager will work with the finance director and department heads to propose a budget. The proposed budget would be presented to the town council, which will need to approve the proposed budget before sending it to referendum.
An update posted on the town’s website reads in part: “The Board of Selectmen now seated and serving will constitute a search committee to review candidates for appointment as town manager to present to the new Town Council for consideration and appointment, as per Section 8 of the new Town Charter. This will provide for a process of review of candidates and the presentation of those candidates immediately to avoid a period after the next election without the office being filled.
“The candidates will be determined on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications, character, education, professional training, and experience, such as a master’s degree in public administration (MPA), master’s degree in business administration (MBA) or related fields. The town manager need not be a resident of the town or state at the time of appointment and may reside outside the town while in office only with the approval of the Town Council.
“Upon election of the initial Town Council, town manager candidates will be presented to the council for selection. The Town Council shall appoint a town manager for a term not to exceed three (3) years. The duties, responsibilities and powers of the elected seven (7) member Town Council are to enact ordinances and to enact emergency ordinances, additional powers and relations to town manager’s appointees of the Town Council are outlined in Section 5 of the Town Charter.”
The full statement can be read at the town website clintonct.org.