Stonington ― On Tuesday, voters here approved all but one of the changes to the Town Charter.

By a vote of 5,909-4,456, voters rejected extending the term of the first selectman from two to four years.

Supporters of the change had argued a four-year term would help attract more and better candidates because they would be assured of a four-year job. Opponents said the current two-year term makes the first selectman more responsive to voters because he or she can be voted out of office in less than two years.

Last revised in 2015, the town charter is the legal document that outlines how the town is governed and how town resources are managed and local laws established.

The other changes, which appeared as separate questions on the ballot, passed easily including changing the town clerk and tax collector positions from elected to hired with votes of 6,108-4,296 and 6,256-4,099 respectively.

The two positions will change from elected to hired effective when the current terms end. Current Tax Collector Cindy Curioso’s term ends Nov. 18, 2025, and current Town Clerk Sally Duplice’s term ends Jan. 5, 2026.

Former and current tax collectors and town clerks had previously advocated for the change in order to ensure the town would have a qualified individual to handle the complicated management of town records, legal compliance with election laws and other responsibilities when Duplice’s term expires.

Former and current tax collectors had also previously noted the high levels of knowledge required for the tax collector’s job, pointing out that, as an elected official, the tax collector is not required to have any education, and if the individual does not do the job, the town has no way to remove the person.

By a vote of 7,688-2,586, voters approved a hiring process for the two new positions as well as for other director and administrative positions, including qualification standards, so that the positions will not be political appointments.

Lastly, voters approved, by a margin of 6,435-3,635, adding two alternates to the Board of Assessment Appeals, the Shellfish Commission and the Water Pollution Control Authority and reducing membership on the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission by two and maintaining 12 members on the Commission on Aging by reducing regular membership by three and adding three alternates.

“We are so happy that voters supported the majority of the proposed revisions to the Town Charter, particularly the measures that will help ensure there are consistent standards for the recruitment and work of all town staff positions,” First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough said on Wednesday.

She said she was grateful to the members of the Charter Revision Commission for the time and work they had dedicated to the revision process, and the town would be discussing whether to reconstitute the commission to consider some less time-sensitive changes like making the charter gender-neutral.

“We encourage residents to stay engaged and continue to be a part of the collective effort to ensure our community continues to thrive for generations to come,” she said.