Registrars of Voters

Ballot Questions and Explanatory Text

Municipal Election - November 4, 2025

Ballot Questions

1. Shall Sections 202.A and 301 of the Charter be amended to provide that the First Selectman shall, beginning with the 2027 election, be elected for a term of four (4) years?
    
2. Shall Section 301 of the Charter be amended to remove the language that permitted an unsuccessful candidate for First Selectman to be considered for a position on the Board of Selectmen?
    
3. Shall Section 202 of the Charter be amended to combine the Planning and Zoning Commissions?
    
4. Shall the Charter be otherwise amended as recommended by the Charter Revision Commission as approved by the Board of Selectmen, as published and posted on the Southbury website?

Explanatory Text

Question 1 Explanation: This charter change would amend the term of the First Selectman from a 2-year term to a 4-year term, effective after the Nov. 2027 election. The other existing selectman positions would retain 2-year terms.
 

Question 2 Explanation: This charter change would disallow an unsuccessful candidate running for First Selectman to gain a seat on the Board of Selectmen, should their vote total be greater than that of a candidate for the position of selectman. This change would take effect after the Nov. 2027 election.
 

Question 3 Explanation: This charter change would merge the current Planning Commission and Zoning Commission into one Commission and combine their duties and responsibilities. This change would take effect after the Nov. 2027 election.
 

Question 4 Explanation: This charter change includes numerous updates to charter language that would generally be considered minor in nature. This includes bringing the charter up-to-date to reflect changes in town government such as the addition of the town's independent police department, the inclusion of its Emergency Management Director, the addition of commissions created since the last charter revision, the dissolution of no longer functioning boards and commissions, updates to membership allocations to the Historic District Commissions, updates to the duties of the First Selectman to align with state statute and current responsibilities, revised language on public safety to align to state statutes, and the updating of policies and procedures within town government to align with present-day financial practices. These changes would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.