Voters renew trooper, table tripartite ordinance

NORTH CANAAN — The air was hot in North Canaan Monday, June 23.

About 150 people filled Town Hall for joint public hearings and town meetings. The initial line to check in and receive paper ballots extended into the parking lot.

The agenda items were to approve a two-year resident trooper contract and a tripartite ordinance changing the positions of town clerk, tax collector and treasurer to appointed four-year roles rather than elected two-year terms.

While most speakers engaged in conversation about the tripartite ordinance, no vote was taken that night. The issue was tabled to allow for further discussion before voting on the topic.

The resident trooper contract passed by a vote of 128 yes to 20 no. The total annual expense to the town was set at $133,602, a reduction of nearly $30,000 from the previous contract. Tropper Spencer Bronson will continue in the role.

As for the tripartite ordinance, supporters and opponents presented their sides during the public hearing.

Those in favor of empowering the selectmen to appoint the town clerk, treasurer and tax collector noted the move is a trend in Connecticut. It allows towns to hire qualified professionals to fill the roles regardless of whether or not they are residents of the town, which is not the case for elected officials. Proponents felt the change would give more oversight of the positions in terms of hours and continuity of service to the town.

Emily Minacci, current treasurer serving in her eighth term, spoke in favor of the change. She said she is taking another job and hopes to see a capable replacement fill the position. “I don’t want to exit and, excuse me, screw the town,” she said. “I don’t take it lightly. I am completely for going appointed. It’s extremely important.”

Kristine Simmons, a North Canaan resident who was appointed last year to serve as town clerk in Salisbury, explained how electing these positions limits the candidate pool. “If you’re going to be on the ballot, you have to be an elector in the town,” she said. On the issue of oversight, Simmons noted the current situation with Town Clerk Jean Jacquier, who has been absent from work since February. “In my job, I’m appointed, I have to answer to my selectmen. If you’re elected, you can basically do whatever the frig you want.”

Opponents criticized the move as an undemocratic power-grab by the selectmen. There was concern that the appointees would be beholden to the selectmen instead of the voters. Others were concerned about costs and spoke of the need for more time to review and discuss the change, with some citing issues in the language of the ordinance.

North Canaan resident Lynn Fowler said Sharon’s selectmen began discussing the appointment of town clerks in November 2024 and had yet to hold a public hearing (see Sharon coverage on Page A3). “I do believe this vote needs a lot more exploration and explanation,” said Fowler. “The stakeholders and taxpayers of [North] Canaan are asked to rush to a vote on not one position but three with not enough information. I’m very concerned what the costs will be.”

Geoff Drury, attorney and resident, said, “Efficiency may sound like an all-purpose virtue, and it may be so in a business context, but when it means giving fewer people more control over more aspects of a supposedly democratic form of municipal governance, it can easily become an anti-democratic means of perpetuating control and restricting healthy change.”

After a roughly one-hour public hearing, the session was closed. First Selectman Brian Ohler motioned to table the topic to a later date.

“I acknowledge as your first selectman that there are still questions,” said Ohler, explaining that the extra time will be useful to “get more information, have more public hearings” and “if it is determined that it should be a question on the ballot in November, we can determine that at a future date.”

The motion passed and the meeting was adjourned.