Charter Revision Panel Presents Five Ballot Proposals to Council
Town Council · Meeting of May 11, 2026
New Canaan's Charter Revision Commission unveils five draft charter amendments for the November ballot. Chairwoman Kathleen Corbett told the Town Council the 11-member commission met 22 times as a full body and 34 times in small groups since November, drawing on input from more than 200 residents and 155 survey responses. Proposals include a 12-year cap on appointed officials' terms, adopted 6-4, and a new requirement that changes to town-owned property go through town council approval and be "subject to a public referendum." A closer 6-5 vote kept Planning and Zoning Commission appointments in place rather than making them elected, a split council member Kim Norton flagged as notable given that "there's not one elected land use position in the entire town." No town council votes were taken; recommendations are due back to the commission by June 25 following public hearings May 27 and June 10.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 775 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of May 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
NEW CANAAN — May 11, 2026 — The New Canaan Town Council spent a special meeting Monday reviewing a draft report from the town's Charter Revision Commission, which is recommending five amendments to the town charter for possible placement on the November ballot.
Commission Chairwoman Kathleen Corbett presented the panel's executive summary to the council, walking members through proposals on term limits for appointed officials, a new referendum requirement for changes to town-owned property, and closer town council oversight of Planning and Zoning Commission appointments. The council took no formal votes on the substance of the report Monday; members are still gathering information ahead of two scheduled public hearings.
The Full Story
The commission, formed after the town council voted unanimously in October to open the charter for the first time in a decade, has held 22 full-commission meetings and 34 small-group sessions since it began work in November. Corbett said the panel heard from more than 200 individual residents through interviews, public hearings and public comment, and separately received 155 responses to a public input survey, with significant overlap between the two groups.
The commission's draft report, submitted to the council May 4, recommends five charter amendments. The first would cap appointed officials, but not elected ones, at 12 consecutive years in a position; that recommendation passed the commission 6-4. A second would require town council approval, and potential public referendum, for any change in use, capital lease, sale or transfer of town-owned real property. Corbett said triggering an actual referendum would require petition signatures from five percent of the town's electors. A third would require town council confirmation of Planning and Zoning Commission appointees named by the Board of Selectmen, mirroring the process already used for the Board of Finance, Audit Board and Ethics Board. A fourth would add three alternate members to the five-member Ethics Board, after three of its members became simultaneously unavailable for about 30 days. A fifth would extend several boards' two-year terms, including the Conservation Commission and Inland Wetlands Commission, to three years for consistency with most other appointed bodies.
The commission also debated, but ultimately voted to leave unchanged, whether to keep the Planning and Zoning Commission appointed rather than elected. Council member Kim Norton noted that vote appeared closer than the report's other tallies. Corbett confirmed the commission split 6-5 to retain the appointed structure, with one dissenting member motivated by a separate proposal to elect only alternate members. Norton said she remains concerned that no land-use position in New Canaan is currently subject to election.
Corbett and commission members Bill Parrot and Russ Kims also outlined a set of recommendations that fall outside the charter itself, including a proposed ordinance to formalize how the town advertises openings on appointed boards and commissions, and a suggestion that the council consider creating an oversight commission for the Public Works Department, currently the only town department without one.
"Such an action would be subject to a public referendum, meaning it would go before the entire town and they would have to vote before the decision is final." — Kathleen Corbett, Charter Revision Commission chairwoman
"All of the land use positions in the town are appointed, there's not one elected land use position in the entire town, so that concerns me and this is an issue that is of great interest to me." — Kim Norton, Town Council member
"It's it's you see, all of the neighboring towns around us by a massive majority have it posted, openings. It just gives a broader net for hopefully finding great candidates that are out there, transparency when openings are available." — Russ Kims, Charter Revision Commission member
Why It Matters
If the town council advances the commission's recommendations, New Canaan voters could see up to five separate charter questions on the November ballot, covering term limits, a new referendum trigger for town property decisions, and expanded town council say over Planning and Zoning Commission appointments. Corbett noted a similar 2016 proposal to require Board of Finance members to be taxpayers as well as electors was rejected by more than 70 percent of voters.
The council must submit any recommended changes back to the commission by June 25, following public hearings set for May 27 and June 10. Corbett said the commission is aiming to deliver a final report in time for the council's July 15 meeting, since no council meeting is scheduled in August, tightening the runway before ballot deadlines.
Key Motions & Votes
No formal votes taken at this meeting.
Source
Town Of New Canaan: Town Council meeting, May 11, 2026