GSYD EVP Alisson Meza’s LTE Published in the Stamford Advocate
Letter: ‘We live in Stamford, not Ohio’
Nov. 16, 2023
Just two days after an election where 57 percent of Stamford voters soundly rejected the Charter Revision ballot question, Majority Leader Nina Sherwood started backing an effort to get the proposed charter changes back on the ballot in 2024. Two of her colleagues on the Board of Representatives, Bradley Bewkes (Republican, District 1) and Jenny Metheny (Democrat, District 19) were on board as well, even though voters in their districts voted 59 percent and 70 percent, respectively, against charter revision.
The justification for a “redo” is as disingenuous and intentionally misleading as the single ballot question this faction rushed to get before voters, which voters overwhelmingly rejected, on Nov. 7..
To claim Sherwood and her faction on the Board of Representatives are now willing to listen to what voters told them they wanted in the first place — a vote during a higher turnout election year and separate questions for each of the changes — is laughable and hypocritical. It’s yet another example of Sherwood’s penchant for changing, bending, or ignoring the rules to get what she wants: more power and control over our city.
And this time she’s willing, in fact even eager, to defy the will of a significant majority of voters to make it happen.
This is unacceptable and undemocratic. The last time I checked we live in Stamford, not Ohio. Our elected officials cannot simply reject the outcome of an election because they don’t like the outcome.
Yet here we are. Efforts are already underway to advance Sherwood’s latest power grab. The Steering Committee of the Board of Representative was planning to take up a draft resolution to reinitiate Charter Revision at its meeting Monday.
While I am pleased that the board withdrew this measure, I can’t believe that it was proposed in the first place against the voters’ interests after they made their voices heard loud and clear on Election Day.
I urge you to contact your members of the Board of Representatives and Majority Leader Sherwood to let them know in no uncertain terms that the issue of Charter Revision has been decided and voters will not support a redo at additional cost to us, the taxpayers.
Alisson Meza is a Stamford High School graduate, proud Stamford resident, and executive vice president of the Greater Stamford Young Democrats.
