In the upcoming deliberations for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the City Council’s Budget & Appropriations Committee has set its calendar to parse Mayor Joe Ganim’s historic, proposed spending plan. See $622,422,608 submission here
Why historic?
Not since the tenure of Socialist Mayor Jasper McLevy, 1933-57, will Bridgeport enjoy, as proposed, a mill rate of 27.75.
Buoyed by a bulging grand list of taxable property, Ganim has presented a pivotal spending plan including a historically low mill rate down from 43.45 to 27.75, $10 million more for schools over the next two years, more property tax relief for seniors and veterans, free park stickers for all Bridgeport residents, and lower car taxes.
To place this into perspective Bridgeport’s tax rate will now be on a par with its large-acre suburban neighbors such as Fairfield, Easton, Trumbull and Monroe most of which eschew the full services required of urban stressors.
Now, before all of you go out and empty the bank account for a tax-relief block party know this: every five years the state requires municipalities to undergo a revaluation process to update real estate property assessments of residential, commercial, automotive and personal property, to determine the tax rate. Some property values go up, some come down, some stay the same. It also means, based on the respective assessments and new mill rate your tax bill may go up, stay the same or go down.
In this case the city’s grand list of taxable property, according to financial bean counters, grew by roughly 62 percent to $13 billion across the board including burgeoning housing starts led by more than 400 units at the Steelpointe Harbor redevelopment area, the first units expected to be occupied this summer.
Notice and Agendas for Miscellaneous Special Budget & Appropriations
Committee Meetings for FY 2026-2027
| Date | Time | Agenda
Subject / Dept. |
Location |
| Wednesday, April 8 | 5:30 pm | CAO and General Budget Review | Conference Rooms A, B & C |
| *Saturday, April 11 | 9:30 am | Capital Plan and General Budget Review | Legislative Services Office |
| Monday, April 13 | 5:30 pm | Civil Service/Labor Relations/Human Resources & Benefits/ City Attorney | Wheeler Rooms |
| Wednesday, April 15 | 5:30 pm | Board of Education | Wheeler Rooms |
| *Saturday, April 18 | 9:30 am | ITS and OPED (General Budget and Capital Plan) | OPED Conference Rooms |
| Tuesday, April 21 | 5:30 pm | Public Hearing: General Budget & Board of Education | City Council Chambers
|
| Thursday, April 23 | 5:30 pm | Public Hearing: Capital Plan
Town Clerk/City Clerk/Registrar of Voters; Legislative Office; Ethics |
City Council Chambers
Wheeler Rooms |
| *Saturday, April 25 | 9:30 am | Finance/OPM General Budget; BOE Capital Plan; City Capital Plan Discussion | Wheeler Rooms |
| Wednesday, April 29 | 5:30 pm | Central Grants and Fire Department | Wheeler Rooms |
| Thursday, April 30 | 5:30 pm | Police Department/EOC | Wheeler Rooms |
| *Saturday, May 2 | 9:30 am | Vote on the Capital Plan (Committee)
General Budget Discussion |
Conference Rooms A, B & C |
| Monday, May 4 | 7:00 pm | City Council Meeting: Vote – Capital Plan | City Council Chambers |
| Tuesday, May 5 | 5:30 pm | Health Department: (All Departments) | Wheeler Rooms |
| Wednesday, May 6 | 5:30 pm | Public Facilities: (All Non-Parks Divisions) | Wheeler Rooms |
| Thursday, May 7 | 5:30 pm | Public Facilities: (Parks Administration) | Wheeler Rooms |
| *Saturday, May 9 | 9:30 am | General Budget Discussion
Vote on Operating Budget (Committee) |
Conference Rooms A, B & C |
| Monday, May 11 | 7:00 pm | City Council Meeting: Operating Budget Vote | City Council Chambers |
| Schedule is subject to adjustments as needed by Committee Co-Chairs | |||
Locations:
City Council Chambers: City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace 1st fl., Bridgeport, CT 06604.
Wheeler Rooms: City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace 1st fl., Bridgeport, CT 06604.
Conference Rooms A, B & C: Margaret E. Morton Government Center, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604.
Legislative Services Office, Margaret E. Morton Government Center, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604.
Analyze? Lennie, in the 20 years OIB has been operation, how many OIB analysis from Bridgeport pols can you find? The Bridgeport City Council may as well skip the yearly budget theatrics and just approve the budget as usual. They will never bite the hands that feeds them financially and politically. Maria P would, but for spiteful reason.
Lennie,
Did you forget to provide us with the $$$ value of the 2026-27 budget proposed by Mayor Ganim?
And how does this compare with the current and other recent year expended funds by year end?
Isn’t it wonderful to know that the Grand List of taxable property has grown by 60%, but as a taxpayer for nearly 40 years, who requested meetings as advertised with officials of the revaluation process, I have no satisfaction that my question, with support of comparables, on land value has been addressed. No phone. No letter or email, to explain why there is a difference in land value on .21 acreage of nearly $200,000. I was curious. Did my homework. So I take this opportunity for any City eyes on this issue to provide me with an answer previous to actual assessment time when a final mil rate provides a tax bill to me. Oversight is necessary when governance structure and procedure do not provide answers or responses in due order. Anyone disagree? Time will tell.
JML, the only way to find out the true fiscal health of this City, is to vote Joe Ganim the hell out of office. When Joe Ganim was found quilty of 62 coubts of corruption and resigned, Fabrizi took over and allegedly the City had a $52 million reserve. When Finch took over after Fabrizi, a $20 million deficit was allegedly discovered.
What’s the alleged reserved for 2026? The classic signs of pillaging exist. I in fact have proof of this. Housing/Real Estate is clearly the thing to get into for the connected. What goes up, must come down and when it does, the great majority of the little people will be left holding a very heavy bag. Don’t worry Lennie, the likes of Joe Ganim will be Just fine in communies like Easton, Trumbull, Fairfield…
Speedy, if I recall correctly. When G2 took over from Finch, G2 also discovered a 20 million dollar deficit. Thanks to his hatchet man, John Gomes, financial crisis, averted. 🙂
Perhaps the 20 million is a thing in Port’s disingenuous political game, people, 🤣
On the bright side of things, at least the Port BOE was fully funded under Finch, right, Maria?
No need for LV Mama Bear’s presence in the Port. 🤣
#7million rebate to the city. 🙂
John, I think that 40 may be a thing too. 🤣
Billboards, people, billboards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_AfSKTpZM
You are right regarding the alleged $20 million deficit in 2016. It’s what they do to retire or eliminate positions and later hire their own. I survived the 2008 rounds of layoffs and bumped over to the Police Department, I was screwed for $9,000 by the City. Boy was that a mistake by Finch and even worst for Ganim. Never take food from my familys table. Slowly, but surely, you’ll sufer the consequences.
“Not since the tenure of Socialist Mayor Jasper McLevy, 1933-57, will Bridgeport enjoy, as proposed, a mill rate of 27.75.”
Lennie, can you try resisting your bad habit of spinning facts and reality? To buy into the above comment, one would have to be convinced that during post depression 1933-1957, the grand list was the same as in the period of 2002-2026.
“more property tax relief for seniors and veterans, free park stickers for all Bridgeport residents, and lower car taxes.”
Hey Toe Ganim, you really think you’re getting Jimfox’s and his wife’s vote? Jim knows you raised his assessment to make up for “more tax relief”. Free Park Stickers? Jimfox back yard is St. Mary’s. Lower car taxes while you travel allover with 2 detectives/driver available, free gas, free transportation and traveling tge country. Heck, you pay Danny Pizza rolls to do the same for DTC Chairman Testa. You are so fucking bogus.
Shit, Speedy, Jimfox’s wife to vote for G2. G2 can’t get Mario to vote for him in Port’s “disingenuous” Political game. Just look at that puss on Mario’s face.
Speaking of disingenuous politics. Let’s zoom out to world politics. Anyone gets a sence France is a major element backing this of the shit show going on in the Middle East. Perhaps even Islam extremeist?
I mean, it almost seems like Islam was pretty modernized concerning its religion. Even Afghanistan held modern women’s rights in the early mid-20th century. It seemed like the 60s and 70’s shit started. I mean, the Aytollah spent exile time in France before the Iranian revolution made him the Supreme Leader and exported that Islam extremeism, reverting to the modernized Islam, creating this shit show. I say y’all rally around FIFA 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxP73Zqvq0I
The Prophet
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wC2mYv_k7x0
I mean, it is just a theory, people?
What say Merovingian?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7bt4p2ckOY
The Prophet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfobiCq0YUc&list=RDjfobiCq0YUc&start_radio=1
I would love to hear the budget committees analysis of the budget.