Hometown Project

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Hometown Presentation Collinsville,
Connecticut
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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Northwest corner of the state
• Along the banks of the Farmington River
• Greater Hartford County
• A village in the town of Canton
• Founded by the Collins brothers
• Seat of the local government

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Collinsville, Connecticut

• About 8,800 residents
• 96 Caucasian
• 2.1 Hispanic
• 1.4 African American
• 50 Male/50 Female

DEMOGRAPHICS

• 70 voter turnout
• 30 Democratic
• 28 Republican
• 41 Unaffiliated

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Collinsville, Connecticut
Government

• Form of government
• Town Meeting
• Board of Selectmen (5 members)
• Oversee the town affairs that are decided on in
  the town meetings
• Mary Tomolonius (1st selectman) David
  Sinish, David Gilchrist Shirley
  Krompegal, Timothy LeGeyt
• Chief Administration officer
• Elected by Board of Selectmen
• Oversee day-to-day adm. of town

• Board of Finance
• Responsible for financial adm. of town
• Creates the annual budget
• Town business is deliberated and decided on at
  the frequent town meetings
• Board of Selectmen implement the plans and
  decisions of the town meeting

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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Thesis
• Collinsvilles local government is an
  accurate example of the direct democracy form of
  government that was first practiced in ancient
  Athens in which the townspeople as a whole hold
  the power in the town, through open citizen
  assemblies, with elected executives to oversee
  the actualization of the desires of the
  community.

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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Direct Democracy (pure democracy)
• a form ofgovernment wherein sovereignty is
  lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose
  to participate. Depending on the particular
  system, this assembly might pass executive
  motions (decrees), make law, elect and dismiss
  officials and conduct trials. Where the assembly
  elected officials, these were executive agents or
  direct representatives (bound to the will of the
  people).
• (http//www.answers.com/topic/direct-democracy)

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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Direct Democracy
• Athens was first example of direct democracy
• Various similar forms
• Representative democracy
• Deliberative democracy
• Consensus democracy
• Not many examples exist
• Logistical difficulties and inefficiency makes is
  hard in large communities because of number of
  people
• Only possible in small towns (Vermont Bryan)
• On the national level there are representative
  who we vote for, who then in turn vote on
  legislation for us

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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Components of modern direct democracy
• Initiative The power or right to introduce a
  new legislative measure The right and procedure
  by which citizens can propose a law by petition
  and ensure its submission to the electorate.
• Referendum The submission of a proposed public
  measure or actual statute to a direct
• popular vote.
• Recall a procedure by which
• voters can remove and elected
• official from office.

(http//www.answers.com/topic/initiativereferendu
mrecall)
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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Collinsville as a direct democracy
• Initiative members of the community are able to
  submit legislation to the selectmen/ various
  commission
• Referendum it is then brought up in the
  appropriate town meeting and voted directly upon
  by a simple majority
• Recall the executive officers are elected
  directly by the citizens at the polls and there
  are allowances in the charter for the removal of
  a official from office under various
  circumstances

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Collinsville, Connecticut
Collinsville vs. Athens

• Similarities
• Direct democracy
• Essential governance of citizens
• Assembly
• Elected officials/ leaders Arcons, strategos
• Recall election -- ostracism

• Differences
• Smaller demos
• No ekklesia
• No usurpers of power
• Elected officials instead of sortition
• Everybody is a citizen instead of just Athenian
  males

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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Town Meetings
• Dedicated to various aspects of civic and
  municipal business
• Open to all property owners and registered voters
• An average of 25 meetings per month
• Many more than most other towns
• Significant of public participation and interest
• Functions of the town meetings include approving
  annual budgets, large scale spendings and town
  ordinances

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Collinsville, Connecticut
Agency/Board/ Commission Date Time Location
Board of Education Every 2nd 4th Tuesday 730 pm Library
Board of Finance Every 3rd Monday 730 pm Comm. Center
Board of Selectmen Every 1st 3rd Thursday 700 pm Comm. Center
Board of Assess. Appeals TBA TBA Town Hall
Building Code Board of Appeals TBA TBA Town Hall
Historic District Commission Every 1st Wednesday 700 pm Library
Canton Library Board of Trustees Every 2nd Wednesday 715 pm
Commission on Aging Every 1st Monday Noon Comm. Center
Conservation Commission Every 2nd Wednesday 730 pm Library
Economic Develop- ment Commission Every 2nd Tuesday 730 pm Comm. Center
Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Agency Every 2nd Thursday 700 pm Comm. Center
Housing Authority Every 3rd Wednesday 700 pm Comm. Center
Open Space and Acquisition Every 1st Tuesday TBA Library
Permanent Municipal Building Commission Every 1st 3rd Tuesday 700 pm Library
Park and Recreation Commission Every 3rd Monday 700 pm Comm. Center
Juvenile Review Board Every 3rd Wednesday 700 pm Library
Planning Commisson Every 1st Monday 730 pm Comm. Center
Conservation Devel opement Committee TBA 730 pm Comm. Center
Water Pollution Control Authority Every 2nd Tuesday 700 pm Comm. Center
Youth Service Bureau Every 4th Tuesday 600 pm Library
Zoning Board of Appeals Every 2nd Monday 800 pm Comm. Center
Pension Committee Every 1st Wednesday 700 pm Library
Zoning Commission Every 3d Wednesday 730 pm Comm. Center
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Collinsville, Connecticut

• Collinsville vs. Saratoga Springs
• Different types of government
• Town-meeting/Commissioner
• Saratoga is larger, direct democracy might not be
  either possible or efficient
• Saratogas government is more similar to a
  representative democracy
• Citizenry does not vote directly on budget,
  ordinances etc., elected officials do