The below is excerpted from Farmington Post, 04/26/2007, Page 1. Full article available here:

Taxpayer group calls for charter revision

By: Lisa Backus, Staff Writer

Members of the Farmington Taxpayer's Association said they will be at the polls May 3 collecting signatures to see if they can initiate a charter revision that would change the budget referendum process.

FTA President Sam Iritano said his group is favoring a change that would force the town to revert back to the previous year's budget if the budget failed twice during the annual referendum approval process.

Iritano said the group would also like to see the annual town meeting changed to a strictly informational presentation that would prohibit residents from increasing or decreasing the budget set by town council members.

"A few years ago after the budget was defeated, a group of residents was able to increase the budget," Iritano said. "One of the purposes of a charter revision would be to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Under the current system approved by a Charter Revision Commission about four years ago, if the budget fails at the first referendum, the Town Council must reduce the budget and send it to another referendum. If the budget is defeated at the polls a second time, the council again is required to reduce the budget, but then the final figure stands.

Residents can either increase or decrease the budget at the annual town meeting if 300 property owners attend and a two-thirds majority votes in favor of the change.

Iritano said the FTA is looking at a charter change that would require that the town revert to the previous year's budget with the exception of debt service spending if the budget fails twice at referendum. Iritano said the FTA also favors doing away with residents being able to change the budget at the annual town meeting, which is always held 10 days before the annual budget referendum.

In order to change the town charter, the council must vote to create a Charter Revision Commission. But residents can also petition that the council create a Charter Revision Commission by gathering signatures from 10 percent of registered voters - in this case, about 1,600 signatures.

Iritano said his group plans on collecting signatures at the polls during the May 3 budget referendum. During Monday's annual town meeting, several residents cautioned voters about signing the petition without realizing that it could lead to change in the way the budget referendum is staged.

Town Clerk Paula Ray said the signatures on the petition must have been gathered in the 90 days before the petition is turned in. If a Charter Revision Commission is formed, the commission can examine and change any aspect of the town charter - they are not limited to looking at changing the referendum or annual town meeting process.

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