The vote to select a City Council president is scheduled to take place tonight.
Doesn’t appear Tom McCarthy will have any problem securing the votes from his peers to remain president of the 20-member legislative body. East End councilman Andre Baker had been fishing for votes. If you hear of any antics let us know. The council president replaces the mayor should a vacancy occur.
This budget cycle should be a hoot to watch. Big Mac, not a fan of Superintendent of Schools John Ramos, is looking to assert a larger role in the shaping of the BOE budget. Get ready for some bottle rockets as three new members of the Board of Education–former City Council members Pat Crossin and Leticia Colon join Maria Pereira, elected on the Working Families Party line–weigh in on the single largest piece of the city’s roughly $500 million budget. The new budget year begins July 2010, but department heads are already working on respective budgets for submission to city bean counters and Mayor Bill Finch before the spending plan goes to the full council for examination in April.
Wage increases for police will also kick in for this budget cycle following a labor pact that called for zero increase the first two years. And what happens in Hartford has a gigantic impact on the city budget. As Republican Governor Jodi Rell deals with a near $500 million deficit she’d like to cut additional aid to cities and towns to help close the hole. Ouch. That simply passes the burden on to local taxpayers, say critics of her proposed cuts such as local chief executives and Democratic legislative leaders. One budget cycle remains for the lame-duck governor.
Join us at the OIB holiday party tonight at Épernay Bistro, 272 Fairfield Avenue downtown. Starts 5:30. Check out one of the city’s finest restaurants as part of Phil Kuchma’s Bijou Square redevelopment. Looks like Phil has his financing all lined up to move forward with completion of the project that includes restaurants, commercial space and residential units. Chef Peter Wroe has lined up some good eats for us. Bring your rumors and your humor.
From the Connecticut Post:
Firefighter settlement bill tops $100K
By Noelle Frampton
STAFF WRITERThe settlement between the city and 12 white firefighters who were bumped down the promotional list when a test was re-scored last year will cost the city more than $100,000 — a price tag some call relatively cheap.
The city will pay about $22,594 in retroactive lieutenant wages to five firefighters under the Nov. 30 settlement of lawsuits filed over the re-scored exam, as well as pay lieutenant wages for the next two years to three white firefighters who had been promoted to lieutenant, but were demoted back to firefighters Wednesday to make way for the others.
“It was a good deal for the city,” said Associate City Attorney John Mitola, who worked on the case. “More importantly, it was a good deal for the Fire Department because we’re moving on now. The city also agreed to pay $75,000 in legal fees to the plaintiffs’ law firm, Cohen and Wolf, and $2,000 to the fire union, Local 834, for costs associated with the case.
Nineteen firefighters have been promoted since the city released its re-scored promotional list in July 2008, 18 of them in August 2008, according to documents filed with the settlement. Most would have been promoted anyway, but ranked differently. Four were promoted Wednesday as a result of the settlement.
The plaintiffs, including a Puerto Rican, had filed suit in federal court last April, eight months after several of them were denied promotions to lieutenant when the city re-scored the exam. The re-scoring lowered the standing of each on the list, said Courtney George, a lawyer with Cohen and Wolf who worked on the case.
*** Thought for the Day! ***
Handle every stressful situation like a “Dog”. If you can’t eat it or hump it, piss on it & walk away! ***
It seems that no one gives a damn about the election of the president of the council. Does it matter?
TC, I don’t anticipate Finch leaving office any time soon, but if that would occur what council member would you want to replace him? Can’t wait for your answer!
AmyMarie Paniccia or Carlos Silva in no particular order. I find both of them honest and they always have time to talk to you. I mean really talk to you. When speaking to them they are not searching around the room with their eyes while pretending to give a shit about what you are saying. Amy has business experience and is not afraid of standing up for what she believes. Carlos is a good guy and cares about Bridgeport.
I know you thought I would say Curwen. Not yet as well as I know him I don’t know what he stands for and that’s unsettling.
McCarthy steps in that means Stafstrom is mayor behind the wings.
I like Michelle Lyons and Angel DePara but they are not ready yet although they are both good council people.
Well I fell for your question but it was a good one I am sure I made more friends. Ha!!!
This morning, while waiting for a load of wash to come out of the dryer, I watched a Steven Seagal film on the USA Network. It was called “Pistol Whipped.” Guess what? Bridgeport was prominently featured. Some of it was filmed inside the old Majestic Theater. There was also a car chase scene that began on State Street in front of Playhouse on the Green and continued down Main past the Barnum Museum. There was also a funeral scene and guess who’s ugly fat face was among the mourners? None other than Johnny Fabs.
Far out, my town has gone Hollywood.
Funny, I thought the movie that Johnny Fabs was starring in was “Bitch Slapped” not “Pistol Whipped.”
Now this is a story which I would have thought could only take place in Bridgeport. With Miron out in Stratford maybe Trumbull will knock B-port off of the front pages every once in a while.
A (Too) Quiet Takeover
December 7, 2009 at 3:25 pm by Susan Silvers
It seems Republican Timothy M. Herbst is already on the job as first selectman, even though he didn’t exactly broadcast it.
With the charter calling for the transition in town officials to take place at a non-specific time on Dec. 7, Herbst said he was sworn in promptly at 12:01 this morning by one of his law colleagues, Dennis Kokenos, and swore in his Town Clerk, Suzanne Burr Monaco, shortly after.
“It was just so I could sign appointment letters,” said Herbst, who wasn’t in Town Hall and added the main swearing-in event was still scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight in Madison Middle School. He said Monaco wanted to make sure items from her new office today were legal.
Still, it seemed an awkward beginning, as outgoing Democratic officials were a bit stunned.
“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” said Herbst’s Democratic predecessor, Raymond G. Baldwin Jr. “It would have been nice if he let me know.”
Outgoing Town Clerk Rose Lodice was already at work when Monaco came in shortly before 9 a.m. “I wish someone would have told me,” she said. “I wouldn’t have come in today.”
Indeed, new officers have traditionally taken their oaths at night. Baldwin’s secretary, Joan Plouffe, a mainstay in the office since the 1970s, said such an early takeover may have taken place once before, but she couldn’t immediately recall who was involved.