Love him or not, perhaps somewhere in the middle, citizen fiscal watchdog John Marshall Lee, also a petitioning candidate for City Council, keeps on barking in the cause of members of the budget and legislative body eating OATs–open, accountable and transparent–splashed with fiscal fluency. He shares his latest commentary after attending the latest Budget and Appropriations Committee meeting.
How far or long can you drive your automobile without referencing one or more sensors and displays on your dashboard? Which dial or light gets first attention from you as you glance down from the road? Speedometer? Fuel? Oil pressure? Odometer? Radio?
Where is City fiscal dashboard instrumentation to assist the elected and the public? Do Council members ‘fly blind’ when they meet as the Budget & Appropriation Committee (B&A)? Just consider …
Tuesday evening 6:00 PM B&A Co-Chair Mike Marella and the recording secretary waited patiently with City managers including Sherwood, Kelly-Lenz and also from School Building for a quorum to form of the seven person group. Council member Salter, not a B&A member, was joined by Swain, Jackson and Vizzo-Paniccia during the next half hour. Some were leaving as the Chair considered his options. At 6:33 PM Taylor-Moye entered from another Council activity and made a quorum allowing the meeting to proceed at 6:34PM with a ‘call to order.’ (Councilman Salter and CFO Kelly-Lenz had departed the room by then.) Absent were Co-Chair Brannelly, L. Martinez, and Austin all of whom are stepping down this year along with Marella and Swain.
Minutes of the August and September meetings were approved without discussion. The subject of the General Budget Review was raised. The July monthly report had been available since August 26 but the August report due September 26 had not been yet produced. Why not? Council members questioned this but Sherwood indicated that this was a matter for Finance Department and not him. He shared the year end process of keeping books open for adjustments for 60 days before turning them over to the auditors. But he said that variances in this period were not reported. One member asked about comparing July 2014 to July 2015 items, but he had no answer other than to refer to Finance.
Before they left the Budget Review ‘moment’ where no questions or comments were made regarding the substance of the July report, I raised my hand to be recognized. I was observed by one member but was told by Chair Marella that the public had no right to speak. I respectfully countered that City Council rules allow the Chair discretion to open the floor. He asked fellow members their sense and Council person Swain indicated that she was always happy to listen to the public. Marella defended his decision to not allow a question because ‘the public gets aroused and causes an event and police must be called too often.’ Gee, I only wanted to ask whether the City was having a tax collection problem. The July report indicated that only 37% of projected taxes had been paid in July. With no actual data in this report for previous years and similar periods it is difficult to know whether this is usual or not.
The substance of the meeting dealt with bonding authorization for repairs to Thomas Hooker School roofing. B&A must approve before going to CC for approval. If that were not completed last night it could not be decided upon by CC in time for a State deadline in October. It would be held over until next year. Project timelines and fund availability for this deferred project were Council concerns. Sherwood said some soothing, almost magic words indicating that he knows of residual funds from other projects that can be applied. Nice that Sherwood knows about such, but why are Council members and taxpayers not in the know as well? Can we be trusted with this info? Meeting adjourned at 6:48 PM.
The City Council gets no dashboard info on Capital projects after approval nor does the public on the City website or from the City Clerk office. We all wait for late reports with partial info, sometimes in error, that fail to show previous ‘actual’ info and that are too lengthy and crowded with data that the CC never deals with. Variances that are critical in seeing where money has been appropriated, yet not spent, are not open to viewers automatically. Above criticisms relate to the Operating Budget only. Where is current and historic activity data on the Capital Budget? Balances in accounts? Timelines for project completion? Where can taxpayers see the extent of City grants, the priorities for projects funded, and the number of employees so engaged? Nowhere!!! When funds are available to the Office of Policy Management, unknown to elected taxpayer representatives on the Council, will you guess that taxes have been budgeted too high? Want a peek at the dashboard? Time will tell.
PS. Less than 24 hours later the hard copy and electronic August report became available.
What a surprise? It is less than 25 pages (contrast to 80-90 usual) due to a format revision including limiting all expense reporting to 6 major line item categories and a compaction of the Police, Fire and BOE interdepartmental listings. Columns increased from 10 to 14 from July to August although variance continues unused. Give credit to Finance for taking some action on making the report more user-friendly. These are GREEN suggestions that I have made multiple times during the year to the Council and supportive of BGreen20/20. Are we coming up to speed? Time will tell.
Not to change the subject, but why is there no coverage of the FACT MJF put out a press release on her doing her civic jury duty yet had her campaign manager get her out of it?
She lied to the people of Bridgeport on how important jury duty is and walked out the back door without ever getting on a panel.
Between that and the LIES over her promising to remove city workers on the city council for the last eight years
shows us what a bald-faced liar she really is.
Really? You are so far gone.
REBEL, you call it a fact, a fact based on what? Plenty of citizens have had one day and done jury duty service.
Sorry Lennie, but us normal people don’t walk in with our campaign manager and get out of jury duty before it starts, and we definitely don’t put out a press release saying what a civic duty it is, she was in and out before the proceedings started, as a officer of the court this is a low-blow move.
It’s obvious you don’t know the jury procedure and have never been called for jury duty. Dumbass.
I second that.
Last time I went, I was there for two hours, tops.
Last time I was called for jury duty, I wrote “I am a convicted criminal” on the questionnaire. I was excused within minutes.
It’s October 16, REBEL, and now you are re-telling the story with the “fact” you were present at the courthouse as an employee? When you tell a story like you have done, why wouldn’t you have told it as a first-person story witnessing and testifying to the facts? One reason I can think of is because some of what you are saying is less than true and/or verifiable.
What is it you see yourself as a REBEL about, anyway? Supporting Joe Ganim is not about rebellion, it’s about more of the same, additional courses and rounds from Testo’s and Matty’s Corner, isn’t it? Mario and Danny are public figures and not hiding behind an alias on a blog. Where is your courage to come out and let people see who you are as a whole person? (Andy Fardy, formerly TOWN COMMITTEE and I (John Marshall Lee, formerly BEACON2) came out about three years ago. It’s a better way to live. And for those who had City jobs we cut some slack up until now.
However, we will have a new Mayor soon. So what’s the worry and the need for a mask on OIB? Time will tell.
Wonderful work, John. You are a blessing to Bridgeport. Like Bob Halstead whose community gardens have softened cold semi-abandoned lots transforming them into inviting living spaces that sooth city-worn eyes. You may yet crack the icy indifference and silent privilege that so pervades entitlement culture. And your writing is becoming more accessible to the daily citizen. Keep up the good and fruitful work.
John Marshall Lee for the next Bpt chief financial officer. Anybody have a problem with that? Other than those who continue to insist Mary-Jane was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. OIB.
I second that. And I will vote for JML for city council. I just love saying that!
Good going, John.
We look forward to hearing you, Tyisha Toms, and the other four candidates for City Council in the 130th district, next Tuesday at 7 PM at the Burroughs Community Center–a candidates’ forum sponsored and led by the Bridgeport Area League of Women Voters.
John Marshall Lee,
I read every word of this piece and find it the most comprehensive analysis of just what value there is placed on “representing” the people of Bridgeport.
I have never been disappointed in the work product you offer to us (perhaps the time needed to absorb it all is the real challenge) and I have deeply respected the ways you’ve been able to peel away the multiple layers of deception, delay and denial that have been wrapped around the City budget process for too long.
I think finally you will have leadership as of November 3rd that will be comprised of willing and responsive listeners to your thinking about the budget process. And, you’ll make an outstanding Council representative.
In the meantime, my heartfelt thanks to you. You’ve taught me a great deal about this very critical budget process through the years.
What fiscal dials, sensors or warning signals do you want on an easy-to-read or read-at-a-glance Bridgeport fiscal dashboard? What is critical to engaging your trust in fair fiscal process and structure in City governance? What steps to OPEN (including available by internet and on City website) including sharing in details provided as background to Council to make good decisions? ACCOUNTABLE for all budgets? With Employee data? And department system indicators on City web site with quarterly reporting, assuming such is reviewed by City department managers? And if not, then why not? Or why not tell us what is looked at? And TRANSPARENCY as in what you see is what you get such as trends in City property ownership and values? And Taxable Grand LIST?
Anything else that is important for your dashboard? Time will tell.
Vote for John Marshall Lee. Bridgeport’s fiscal dashboard needs a watchdog.
His stubborn persistence will be an aid to to the City Council and taxpayers. He always has the sharpest pencil in the room and that’s what Bridgeport needs.
Not only does JML point out the dashboard but also tries to make us look under the hood!