In a few weeks the city’s Charter Revision Commission will submit recommended changes to the City Council about the document governing Connecticut’s most populous city and one question in play for voters to consider is broadening the tent to include minority-party representation.
The only areas in which minority parties are guaranteed government action is required by state law such as school board elections, registrar slots, sheriff positions and appointments to boards and commissions. This is not required of local legislative bodies.
That could change as the charter panel examines and votes on recommendations to the City Council which has final say on what is presented to voters to decide in this year’s November general election, a sleepy off-cycle, led by school board and council candidates.
This Saturday becomes a pivotal meeting for the charter body to close in on what it presents to the council. For decades the city’s 20-member legislative panel has been dominated by Democrats, the lone Republicans to breakthrough coming from the Black Rock neighborhood, the last bastion of coalescing GOP voters, and even there it’s a steep climb.
If placed on the ballot and approved by voters minority-party inclusion, presumably one-third of the makeup, launches opportunities for Republican, Working Families and Bridgeport Independent party candidates, opening up competition and diverse points of views.
The looming question: how will this be structured?
Does the size of the council remain the same at 20 members or reduced? Do at-large members, serving an entire city, come into play?
The charter panel’s draft document reaches the City Council mid June for evaluation and tweaks prior to a final vote that goes to voters for the final say in November.
Voters going to cast an informed vote will see City officials, including the Board of Education) on the ballot (but not a candidate for Mayor), as well as an opportunity to ballot for the outcome of the 2025 Charter Review. I cannot provide the form and content of likely Charter changes at this moment, but “public opinion” has not been overwhelming at the public hearing held at the North End Library where four City Council members did share thoughts and opinions with us.
There will be at least one more hearing, and likely multiple opportunities to review when the City Council reviews recommended changes before November. The size of the City Council, District representation, support for increasing legislative functions as a part of “check and balance” review, and creating added opportunities for low action or unaffiliated registered voters to participate in the City civically are well discussed subjects.
I happen to be disturbed when fellow citizens register to vote, and then fail to be informed enough to vote confidently each time there is an opportunity to do so. Failure to vote in some of the ten City Districts in “a sleepy off-year cycle” has approached 90% recently. How many folks will share their feelings with specific City weaknesses or failures or/alternatively contentment with representation in 2025? Time will tell.