We the people of the Town of Mansfield, under the Constitution and laws of the State of Connecticut, in order to secure the benefits of local self-government and to provide for an accessible and accountable government, do hereby adopt this Charter and confer upon the Town the following powers, subject to the following restrictions, and as prescribed by the following procedures and government structure. By this action, we wish to secure the benefits of home rule and provide for local government that is responsive to the will and values of the residents of our Town, and strongly affirms resident participation, representative democracy, and professional management.