The quadrennial Town Charter revision process is underway, offering residents the opportunity to express their ideas and effect change on how our town is governed.
Residents can offer suggestions for charter changes at the Charter Revision Commission’s public meetings, each Thursday, 6:30 pm, in the Town Hall Annex. Weekly agendas and minutes are posted on the town website. Residents may also send emails to crc@ridgefieldct.org or letters with written suggestions to the Commission (Ridgefield Town Hall, 440 Main St.).
The Commission is soliciting input for charter changes from residents and members of town boards, commissions, committees, and agencies throughout March and April. It will consider and evaluate these proposals, and then publish a draft of proposed changes. Residents can comment on those proposals in public hearings on May 11 and 13. The commission will then present a final report to the Board of Selectmen in late May. Following selectmen approval, residents will vote on proposed changes in November’s election.
About Charter Revision
The Town Charter is comparable to a state’s constitution or an organization’s by-laws. Because it defines the basic authorities and operating rules of the town, it directly affects each resident. State law determines how and when the town’s charter can be changed.
To read the charter, or for more information on the current commission or past charter changes, go to the town’s website. For reminders of upcoming charter revision public hearings, sign up for ‘general government notifications’ on Ridgefield Alerts.