2025-2026 Boards and Commissions 

 

 

Absentee Ballots become available October 3rd.

Please use the following link to submit an application: 

 

Early Voting begins October 20 and will continue until November 2nd in meeting room "A" located at the entranceway of the CJH Municipal Center at 1 School Street, Bethel.

Hours will be 10:00am - 6:00pm; with late hours on October 28th and October 30th during which the hours will be 8:00am-8:00pm.

 

Election Day is November 4th, polling hours are 6:00am - 8:00pm.

 

*An error was identified on the Independent Party line where Police Commission candidates were listed by mistake.

 

 

Charter Revision Questions:

 

 

There are 8 ballot questions to make changes to the Bethel Charter that would take effect 30 days after the election. Where possible, similar charter changes were grouped together as questions to limit the number of questions on the ballot. See the actual ballot at the sample ballot link above.  A short overview of changes follow:

 

Question 1. Change the term of the Board of Selectmen to 4 years. (effective in 2027)

 

Question 2. Raise the dollar amount that requires a machine vote for capital utility projects that are funded exclusively through user fees, grants and/or loans from $1 million to $2 million.

 

Question 3. Require that no employee of the town serve on Planning and Zoning, Board of Finance members cannot serve on other boards and commissions, and create a process for resignations and filling vacancies on appointed boards.

 

Question 4. Use “they,” “them,” or “their” when referring to a board, commission, or person in the charter.

 

Question 5. Make punctuation corrections and minor technical changes in the charter.

 

Question 6. Change the reference to the Annual Town Budget Meeting to Annual Town Meeting, change the timing requirements in the budget process to deconflict with presidential primaries, specify that the town can use mediums allowed by state law for legal advertisements, designate that the Town Clerk is the official Secretary for town meetings, and allow the town and schools to use a purchasing cooperative instead of bidding process to lower costs.

 

Question 7. Updates to administrative officers’ titles and department names to align with practice and state law, create a Department of Economic Development separate, Public Utilities from Public Works, and specify a process for certain town administrative officers for good cause.

 

Question 8. Change the Public Utilities Commission from 5 members to 7, require that the Board of Education and Insurance Pension Commission members have overlapping terms, provide an opportunity for the public to speak at the beginning of regular meetings, except meetings with a public hearing, make Robert's Rules of Order the official rules for elected and appointed boards; require all meetings take place at town hall or a town owned facility.