Raptakis Asks Coventry Residents to Reject Charter Amendment

Raptakis Asks Coventry Residents to Reject Charter Amendment

Senator Lou Raptakis is calling on Coventry residents to attend Monday night’s Town Council meeting and reject a plan to put a ballot question before voters that would end their right to offer motions at the Financial Town Meeting.

Republicans on the Town Council offered the proposal at last Monday’s meeting and tried to push it through, however, the dates were wrong and the matter had to be postponed.

“At last year’s Financial Town Meeting, a voter proposed giving an additional $220,000 to the schools and the measure passed over the objection of the Town Council. Previously, a plan to charge one Coventry neighborhood for sidewalk construction was rejected on a similar motion brought by a citizen.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The majority of the Town Council wants to take away the right of voters to express their will at the Financial Town Meeting and offer motions to change the budget. These council members want to simply force voters to vote the budge up or down and limit their ability to fix mistakes and implement policies some Council members don’t like. It’s an assault on our democracy and we need to stop it in its tracks and send the Council a message Monday night,” said Raptakis.

Raptakis also questioned the legality of the move, saying that section 15.20 of the Town Charter states that changes can only be made to the document through recommendations from a Town Charter Committee.