Why Can't the Community Vote?

There is no limit to what the Key Colony Beach City Commission can spend without a vote by the citizens of Key Colony Beach.

Residents overwhelmingly worry about the cost and overreach of a City Hall project that has taken almost six years just to go out for bids that turned out to be outrageously more expensive than the city commission promised.

Here's how two other communities have handled similar issues in the summer of 2023 alone:

Vote: Weston Special Town Meeting On Land Mobile Radio Communications Project

The legal voters of the Town of Weston, Connecticut, are hereby warned and notified that a Special Town Meeting will be held at the Weston High School Cafeteria, Weston, Connecticut, on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
The meeting shall be held for the following purpose:
To consider and vote on the following question:
"Shall the Town create a Capital Account entitled 'Public Safety Telecommunications (Land Mobile Radio Project)' and to fund said account with a special appropriation of $4,500,000.00 from the Unassigned Fund Balance?"

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Community Vote:

The legal voters of the town of Highgate are hearby warned and notified to meet at the Highgate Sports Arena on Thursday, July 20, 2023 to vote from the floor on the following article of business:
"Article 1: Shall the voters of the Town of Highgate approve the purchase and sale agreement [for] 18.5 acres in the amount of $300,000 for the purpose of creating a village wastewater system?"

Two small Towns. Two different capital projects, one relatively large, one relatively small. And yet both Towns went to the voters for approval. The smaller project was fully funded by outside grants and the Town still went to the voters.

KCB citizens requested a referendum at the February 16 Commission meeting. Mayor Trefry thanked everyone for their comments. None of the comments appeared in the minutes. And the city commission ignored the requests. It gets worse:

Did Key Colony Beach go to the voters?

No.

KCB claimed in court that the citizens had no right to object to a "budget" matter.

Why is there is no limit to what the Key Colony Beach City Commission can spend without a vote by the citizens?