FAIRFIELD — Voters approved a town charter commission by a narrow margin in elections Tuesday, but they will have to wait to find out who was elected to the nine-member panel.
Town Clerk Christine Keller said in an email Wednesday that she still was working on verifying 86 votes for write-in candidates looking to fill five empty seats on the panel.
The referendum barely squeaked by on Tuesday, with 357 votes to establish the panel and 324 votes against the measure.
Keller said she still needed to verify that the top write-in candidates were registered voters and Fairfield residents and contact them to make sure they would be willing to serve on the commission before finalizing the results.
Voters last year rejected a charter commission, but the Town Council put the measure out to vote a second time this year.
Voters also had to elect six residents to be members of the commission. Three other members will be nominated and appointed by the Town Council.
The charter commission will go through the charter and suggest possible changes to how Fairfield’s government is organized. Any proposed changes would be sent to voters in a referendum in 2016. The charter was adopted 30 years ago and never has had a full review.
Although town officials have touted the commission’s importance, only one candidate on the ballot, Timothy Martin, filed nomination papers in time to get on the ballot. Martin was elected with more than 500 votes, leaving five empty seats.
Shawn Knox, who was elected on Tuesday to a seat on the School Administrative District 49 board, said in an interview in September he intended to run as a write-in candidate.
Town Council Chairman Robert Sezak said Wednesday that he believed there would be enough write-in candidates to seat six elected commissioners.
“I’m very happy it passed. We are moving forward with filling those positions,” he said.
Peter McGuire — 861-9239
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