Norwalk council approves three charter questions for Nov. 4 ballot, finalizes language
August 20, 2025 | Norwalk City, Fairfield, Connecticut
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The Norwalk Common Council voted to place three separate charter referendum questions on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot and approved the language to accompany them.
Attorney Mednick and council members discussed whether to present the charter changes as a single omnibus question, multiple questions or up to four questions. Concerns centered on ballot "real estate" (space available on a physical ballot), voter clarity, and the risk that bundling a contested item with broadly supported technical changes could cause voters to reject the entire package.
After debate, the council adopted a three-question structure and approved concise language for each item. As finalized by the council, the three questions read (summary):
1) Shall the charter be revised to permit separate expenditure caps on the general government and Board of Education; change the name of the Common Council to City Council; reduce petition requirements to facilitate public referenda; create a public applicant pool to publicize board and commission vacancies; and establish authority to expand the Board of Estimate and Taxation to include a member of the council as a non-voting ex officio member, as well as other revisions building on the 2023 charter revision?
2) Shall the charter be revised to create a four-year term for the mayor and town clerk beginning with the 2029 municipal election and for council members beginning with the 2031 municipal election?
3) Shall the charter be amended to provide each council member compensation equal to 3% of the mayor's budgeted salary effective following the 2029 municipal election (subject to state constitutional requirements)?
Council members asked the town clerk to prepare explanatory text and to publish the full charter and accompanying explanations as required under Connecticut law. The council approved the three-question approach by roll call and directed legal counsel and the town clerk to finalize any minor editorial changes before publication.
Council members said the goal was to balance clarity for voters with a faithful representation of substantive changes in the charter.
Attorney Mednick and council members discussed whether to present the charter changes as a single omnibus question, multiple questions or up to four questions. Concerns centered on ballot "real estate" (space available on a physical ballot), voter clarity, and the risk that bundling a contested item with broadly supported technical changes could cause voters to reject the entire package.
After debate, the council adopted a three-question structure and approved concise language for each item. As finalized by the council, the three questions read (summary):
1) Shall the charter be revised to permit separate expenditure caps on the general government and Board of Education; change the name of the Common Council to City Council; reduce petition requirements to facilitate public referenda; create a public applicant pool to publicize board and commission vacancies; and establish authority to expand the Board of Estimate and Taxation to include a member of the council as a non-voting ex officio member, as well as other revisions building on the 2023 charter revision?
2) Shall the charter be revised to create a four-year term for the mayor and town clerk beginning with the 2029 municipal election and for council members beginning with the 2031 municipal election?
3) Shall the charter be amended to provide each council member compensation equal to 3% of the mayor's budgeted salary effective following the 2029 municipal election (subject to state constitutional requirements)?
Council members asked the town clerk to prepare explanatory text and to publish the full charter and accompanying explanations as required under Connecticut law. The council approved the three-question approach by roll call and directed legal counsel and the town clerk to finalize any minor editorial changes before publication.
Council members said the goal was to balance clarity for voters with a faithful representation of substantive changes in the charter.
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