Signatures collected to register for referendum
The request for signatures reads: “Shall the action of the Town Council, at its March 31, 2021 meeting, which did not reduce the Board of Education budget by $463,337 be overruled and returned to the Board of Finance for reconsideration?”
NEW CANAAN — Proponents of a referendum say they have “more than enough” signatures to register the intent to referendum, which would overturn a vote taken by the Town Council to stop the changes to school start times.
Supporters of the referendum have collected more than 50 signatures in just one day to register with the town clerk, which is the initial step called for by Town Charter Section C416.
Their next focus will be to begin compiling the total of 700 signatures needed to force a referendum.
“We have well exceeded the initial amount of signatures for the intent to petition, in just 24 hours,” Jennifer Dalipi, a grade school parent and supporter of the referendum said.
They have also found individuals to sign for the “second step of the petition,” she said.
The request for signatures reads: “Shall the action of the Town Council, at its March 31, 2021 meeting, which did not reduce the Board of Education budget by $463,337 be overruled and returned to the Board of Finance for reconsideration?”
Proponents of the referendum say they do not begrudge the money for the school start times change. In fact, they may support spending more money for what they view as a better answer and hope the actual referendum includes language to make that clear.
Dalipi stated that she preferred “for the purpose of further study and review of the school start time initiative,” to be added into the language of the proposal.
Grade school parent James Yao wishes the referendum would reflect the original motion that was brought up for vote by Mike Mauro of the Town Council. Instead, “this requires us to provide further explanation as to what we are looking to do.”
“People want a different plan, they want one that serves all the students including, high school,” Dalipi said.
The Town Charter requires five percent of the electorate, or 681 votes to force a referendum, since there are 13,621 registered voters in New Canaan as of April 1, according to registrar John Amarilios.
Once a referendum takes place, at least 15 percent of electors, or 2,043 votes are needed to repeal or overrule the vote. That number would fulfill the majority vote needed.
That petition must be filed in the town clerk’s office no later than 30 days after the publication of such legislative action, according to the town charter.
The vote was one in a series that was taken to approve the $154.5 million town operating budget for 2021-22.
Mauro made a motion, seconded by Maria Naughton, to reduce the Board of Education operating and health insurance budget of $92.3 million by $463,337, the amount projected for a change in start times 202122 midyear.
The motion failed with a vote of 2-10, with Mauro and Naughton voting in favor.
Typically, in New Canaan, a referendum would seek to overturn an approval of something.
If the referendum were to fail, the new start times allowed for in the 2021-22 budget would be enacted mid-year next school year.
The first tier would mean East School, South School and West School would start at 7:45 a.m. and let out at 2:15 p.m. The second tier, New Canaan High School, would ring the first bell at 8:30 a.m. and discharge students at 3 p.m. Also, as part of tier two, Saxe Middle School upper grades, seventh and eighth, would get going at 8:35 a.m. and be released at 3:05 p.m. For tier three, Saxe Middle School’s fifth and sixth grades would start at 9:15 a.m. and get out at 3:45 p.m.