Politics & Government

Republican Leaders Endorse 'Bold' Redistricting Plan to 'Modernize' RTM

Fairfield Republican RTM leadership and redistricting committee members endorse 'bold' plan to modernize and shrink town's legislative body by 20 percent, according to a release from RTM Redistricting Committee Chairman Hank Ference.

[Editor's note: This release was submitted by RTM Redistricting Committee Chairman Hank Ference, R-3.]

Fairfield Republican RTM Leadership and Redistricting Committee Members Endorse “Bold” Plan to Modernize and Shrink Town's Legislative Body by 20 percent

  • Brings Fairfield into Compliance with Connecticut Redistricting Required Completion Date of June 1, 2013
  • Two Fewer Polling Locations Would Save the Town of Fairfield Considerable Monies Over the Next Decade
  • Republican Plan Would Make Fairfield RTM More Modern, Efficient and Accountable to the Townspeople
  • Number of Fairfield RTM Districts Would Decrease from Ten to Eight; Five Reps per District Maintained
  • More Focused RTM Body Would Lead to Better Discussions and More Focused Debates on the Floor

The RTM Republican Leadership and Redistricting Committee Members today announced their unequivocal support for a revamped 8-District/40-Member Fairfield RTM body that would fulfill the requirements set forth by both the Town Charter and Connecticut statute.

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Every 10 years, following the “completion of the census of the United States and after any reapportionment of the State General Assembly Districts affecting the Town” the Town Charter requires that the Fairfield RTM redistrict itself to ensure that the “population deviation from the largest to the smallest voting district shall not exceed 10%.” The Charter also stipulates that to the “extent [that is] practicable” the RTM “shall provide for districts that are located in only one State General Assembly District.”  The Charter mandates that the “RTM shall consist of not more than 56 members.”

“The role of the RTM Moderator is to ensure the body’s business is conducted in a timely and orderly fashion,” RTM Moderator Jeff Steele, R-2, said.

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“The Redistricting Committee has held 18 distinct meetings over the past year and I am extremely disappointed its members have been unable to advance a proposal out of Committee for debate onto the floor of the RTM. If the deadline of June 1 is not met, we face violations of both State statute and the Town Charter. Moreover, this failure could call into question the legitimacy of the entire RTM body for the next term if an agreement is not reached.”

Connecticut General Statute Section 9-1 69f lays out the requirements for redistricting at the RTM level: “Not later than June first in the year after the first regular General Assembly election following a reapportionment of the General Assembly, each municipal legislative body whose members are elected wholly or partially on the basis of a geographical division of the municipality shall adopt a reapportionment plan for such legislative body.” 

In regards to the Town Charter, the current Fairfield RTM district lines are out of compliance, as the largest district exceeds the smallest district, based on voter population, by more than 10 percent. The existing RTM districts are also incompatible with the new State General Assembly lines -- a situation, which, if left unaddressed, would result in the existing 10 RTM districts being divided into 21 polling locations for the State election races.

“It is past time that the full RTM had the opportunity to weigh in on Redistricting, not just the six members of the Committee,” Ed Bateson, Deputy Majority Leader and Redistricting Committee Member (R-3), said. “We are one of a select few towns in the state that has not completed the RTM redistricting process yet, and I am concerned that the State deadline of June 1, 2013 is nearing.”

Mr. Bateson continued: “Today more than ever, voters are looking for leadership, not inertia from their representatives. Accordingly, I believe now is the time for the full RTM body to review and debate our 8-District/40-Member plan, so we can start the difficult task of modernizing the RTM and bringing the districts into alignment with the requirements and spirit of the Charter and State statute.”   

“The issue of determining the optimal size of a legislative body goes all the way back to the writings of James Madison in the U.S. Constitution,” Peter Ambrose, Chairman of the RTM’s Finance Committee, R-2, said. “The wisdom of James Madison still rings true today: The size of a legislative body ‘ought at most to be kept within a certain limit, in order to avoid the confusion and intemperance of a multitude.’ In my opinion, this delicate balance would be achieved with an 8-District /40-Member plan. Moreover, we have a responsibility to get this redistricting process done in a fair and equitable manner by the June 1 state deadline.”

The RTM Republican Leadership and Redistricting Committee members believe their 8-District/40-Member plan would modernize, improve and make the RTM more efficient and accountable to our townspeople for the following reasons:

  • The democratic process would be strengthened as greater competition emerges for the remaining 40 RTM representative seats;
  • Following the RTM election later this year, the new 40-member RTM body would be more visible in the community, and, as a result, more responsive to voters;
  • A more focused and agile RTM body would lead to better discussion, clearer debates and a greater chance for governmental reform;
  • Two fewer polling locations would save Fairfield considerable monies over the next decade; and
  • The plan would bring Fairfield into compliance with the State of Connecticut’s redistricting requirement completion date of June 1, 2013.

The Fairfield RTM had 14 districts with four representatives per district as recently as 1992. That RTM body was reduced for the 1993 municipal election to 10 districts with five representatives per district for reasons similar to those noted above.

“With intense Town budget pressures, it doesn’t serve the people of Fairfield well when some individuals are winning seats on the RTM because they ran unopposed or were put on the slate to simply fill a hole,” said

RTM Redistricting Committee Chairman Hank Ference, R-3. “In fact, you could argue that this dynamic has contributed to less committed members, and, therefore, a less involved RTM, which, over time fostered the high property taxes we now face. At the end of the day, it’s hard to look taxpayers in the eye and say ‘it’s not broken’ when our budget has almost doubled in size over the past 10 years.”

“While RTM representatives would have a somewhat larger group of voters to represent under this modernization program, given the rise of social media and the widespread use of email, in many ways it has never been easier to stay in touch and solicit input from constituents than it is today,” David Becker, RTM Redistricting Committee Member, R-1, said.

The Fairfield RTM Republican Redistricting Committee members include: Hank Ference, R-3, David Becker R-1, and Ed Bateson, R-3.


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