Charter panel debates term limits, keeps focus on town clerk role

Other Committee · Meeting of February 17, 2026

New Canaan's Charter Revision Commission heard legal advice against term limits and a pointed defense of keeping the town clerk elected. Commission counsel Nicholas Bamante told members Connecticut law offers "no authority" for term limits on elected local offices, though appointed ones can have them. Town Clerk Claudia Weber, in her 28th year, said "the town clerk must have the ability and the authority to say no without fear of reprisal," and noted 72 of Connecticut's 169 towns now appoint their clerks, up from about 30 a decade ago.

Commissioner Todd Lambert questioned who could succeed her someday. Town Council member Janet Fonts backed keeping the board of finance and Planning and Zoning Commission appointed while capping any one party's board seats at a "bare majority." The panel unanimously approved its February 3 minutes and adjourned without taking any substantive votes.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 783 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of February 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — February 17, 2026 — The New Canaan Charter Revision Commission spent more than three hours Tuesday absorbing legal advice on term limits and hybrid boards, then heard a forceful, five-point case from Town Clerk Claudia Weber for keeping her office an elected position rather than an appointed one.

Commission counsel Nicholas Bamante told the panel, chaired by Kathleen, that Connecticut law provides no authority for term limits on elected local offices, though it does permit them for appointed ones, which New Canaan already uses for at least one commission. Weber, in her 28th year as town clerk, argued that an elected clerk provides independence, checks on power and voter accountability that an appointed one would not.

The Full Story

Bamante, of the law firm heard on the recording as Burch Moses, walked the commission through five legal questions raised at a prior meeting. On term limits, he said no Connecticut charter provision or case law supports imposing them on elected positions, a conclusion he said is shared by other municipal attorneys statewide. He also advised against using a shared Google document to draft charter language, citing the state's Freedom of Information Act, and said a hybrid board mixing elected and appointed members is technically legal under state statute but would raise unresolved questions about voting power, minority representation and alternate members. Commissioner Bill Barrett pressed Bamante on why the absence of a legal challenge to elected term limits elsewhere shouldn't be read as tacit approval; Bamante said the lack of a challenge does not establish legal authority.

Weber then presented her case for retaining an elected clerk, citing accountability to voters, the office's role as a check on the town's executive branch, and resistance to what she called cronyism in an appointed system. She said she has declined to certify improperly filed minutes, refused to authorize an unredacted posting of land records with Social Security numbers, and would not slow the absentee ballot process when asked to by "a rather influential political figure." She said 72 of Connecticut's 169 towns now appoint their town clerks, up from about 30 a decade ago, after a drafting error in state law decades ago changed "shall" to "may" regarding the position.

Commissioners including Angela Jameson, the panel's secretary, and Todd Lambert pushed back on succession concerns, questioning whether a small town could reliably produce a qualified elected successor when Weber eventually retires. Weber said an assistant town clerk with signatory power could help bridge any transition, and noted state and national associations offer mentoring for new clerks.

Town Council member Janet Fonts told the commission she favors keeping the board of finance and Planning and Zoning Commission appointed, citing the difficulty of running for office, but said appointed seats should not be treated as belonging to a political party. She and commissioner Angela Jameson discussed capping any one party's representation on appointed boards at a "bare majority." A council member identified only as Penny urged the commission to consider a town manager position, appointing the town treasurer, and letting the town council amend department budgets set by the board of finance. Council member Christina Ross was again unable to present her comments before time ran out and will return at a future session.

"The town clerk must have the ability and the authority to say no without fear of reprisal," Weber said.

"There is no authority in the law to have those positions have those term limits," Bamante said.

"My concern isn't what you do or your independence, which I respect. It's what happens if we have to replace you and there's nobody here that can do it," Lambert said.

Why It Matters

New Canaan has had an elected town clerk since 1801; Weber says she is the 25th person to hold the office. If the commission ultimately recommends making the position appointed, that recommendation would go to the town council and, potentially, to voters, ending a two-century-old structure. Commissioners are also weighing whether to expand the board of selectmen to five members and how to cap party representation on appointed boards, changes that would affect who can serve and how minority-party residents get a seat. No date was set for a final vote on any of these charter changes; the commission said it will schedule a special meeting to hear remaining town council and board of finance members who have not yet spoken.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approval of the February 3 meeting minutes, as corrected Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Motion to adjourn Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Charter Revision Commission meeting, February 17, 2026