VOLUNTOWN – Hyde Harman has lived in this small, rural town for decades – going on 40 years, he says, although he can hardly remember the exact number.
Harman, who works the second shift at Electric Boat, said voters have always decided who holds various jobs in Town Hall, including the town clerk and tax collector – what he calls a perk for residents.
But it’s a voters’ benefit that’s slowly being taken out of their hands at the polls.
"A few years ago, the tax collector and town treasurer were taken off the ballot, now they’re doing the same exact thing with the town clerk," said Harman, who also serves as chairman of the Republican Town Committee until March. "It should go to the voters first. There’s never been a lot of turnaround.
"I see what’s going to happen … people who don’t live in town are going to be running the town."
The Board of Selectmen is considering presenting an ordinance to residents that changes the position of town clerk from an elected position to an appointed position – an adjustment previous board members were considering, First Selectman Tracey Hanson said Monday.
Hanson said the board is also looking into an ordinance that would change the positions of planning and zoning members from elected to appointed.
Residents will have a chance to vote on one or both of the ordinances at the annual Town Meeting in May.
"They want to take the positions of town clerk and planning and zoning offices off the ballots so this way they can hand pick people for these positions who, in turn, will only be accountable to them, not the voters of Voluntown," Harman said. "They will tell you it takes too long to train someone for these posts - it can easily be solved by increasing the length of term in office. They can’t take your right to vote away but they can take your choice away."
But Hanson, whose family is also deeply rooted in Voluntown although she has lived in Rhode Island, said appointing qualified people to the positions is cost effective and in the town’s best interest.
"The position of town clerk requires professional job abilities, as well as state-mandated classes," she said. "The mandated classes cost the town money, and the position requires job skills that if an elected person does not have, has the potential to also cost the town money. We already have ordinances in place that have turned our tax collector and tax assessor into appointed positions. This ordinance would be the same. This ordinance would have to be approved by residents at a town meeting."
Voluntown officials are going through the hiring process now for a new tax collector and assessor – Tax Collector Maria Morell is retiring.
"It’s good," Hanson said, "because it’s forcing us to do our research and go through the job process. Some of these positions are different than elected positions. It’s a different thought process."
She said planning and zoning requires commitment and involvement. The ordinance would guarantee members are making decisions based on their knowledge of existing ordinances and regulations, as well as attending and participating in meetings on a regular basis.
"There are several towns in Connecticut that do appoint their planning and zoning members," she said. "So we will not be reinventing the wheel."
Harman disagreed.
"There could come a day in the near future that many of our town positions will be run by people from other areas," he said. "They would not represent our unique community here, they would not be held accountable to the citizens."
Hanson encouraged residents to raise any concerns with her or other members of the board of selectmen.
"I have been trying very hard to get the message out there to residents that I don't bite and can be reached for concerns very easily," she said.