Outgoing Mayor Bill Finch, whose persistent exaggeration of low crime stats following spikes in violent crime alienated some voters, has decided to handcuff incoming Mayor Joe Ganim with a police chief he does not want. As a parting middle finger to Ganim, the departing mayor has reappointed Chief Joe Gaudett to another five-year contract based on language in the City Charter that appears to give Finch the authority. Gaudett’s current contract expires Dec. 19. If Ganim is determined to submarine Finch’s move one possibility could be prevailing upon the City Council to blowtorch the contract, or buy out the contract, an expensive proposition. Or perhaps Ganim, as the city’s chief executive, could frustrate Gaudett by marginalizing his authority.
R. Christopher Meyer, who served as campaign legal counsel to Ganim and could be appointed city attorney by Ganim, issued a quick rebuke of Finch’s motives.
“Mayor’s Finch’s conduct just when you think a person couldn’t be more petty and vindictive takes it to a whole new level. Finch is trying to put his finger in Joe Ganim’s eye but he doesn’t mind harming the taxpayers of the city in doing so. It’s ridiculous that an outgoing mayor in a city he claims to have loved so much has this petty emotional reaction. I would hope Joe Gaudett would have the good sense to summarily turn down Finch’s last minute desperation appointment attempt.”
Meyer, who served in the City Attorney’s Office for more than 25 years, says Gaudett’s contract requires City Council approval.
From the Bridgeport City Charter regarding police chief:
The person so appointed shall hold office for a term of five (5) years from the effective date of his appointment but may be removed for just cause. A person holding the position of Chief of police may, only within 150 days of the end of each term, be reappointed by the mayor for one additional term of five (5) years, effective upon the expiration of the chief’s current term, without the need for further examination or testing.
Gaudett, a genial public face of the department, is not popular with some rank and file city police officers, especially those who actively supported Ganim for mayor including police union chief Chuck Paris. Ganim has called upon Finch to avoid major decisions as he fills out his final days that ends Nov. 30. Last week Gaudett was on the verge of dishing out disciplinary action against a high profile police official believed to have a role in manufacturing racially charged letters to embarrassing police leadership. Gaudett received a call from the mayor’s office to call it off. Finch apparently did not want to leave office with a screaming headline about the motives behind the letters. State law enforcement officials have a criminal probe ongoing about the genesis of the letters.
Finch appointed Gaudett to his first five-year contract in December of 2010. It expires this December 19. Under a City Charter change approved by voters about 25 years ago the police chief can serve at the appointment of the mayor for up to two five-year terms. Finch is citing the charter language A person holding the position of Chief of police may, only within 150 days of the end of each term, be reappointed by the mayor for one additional term of five (5) years, effective upon the expiration of the chief’s current term, without the need for further examination or testing.”
Finch’s hostility toward Ganim is so deep he waited until the weekend before Ganim taking office as a parting shot. He could have reappointed Gaudett five months ago, according to the City Charter window of appointment.
CT Post reporter Brian Lockhart has more:
In his final days as the city’s chief executive, Bill Finch has left returning Mayor Joseph Ganim a parting gift–a five-year contract for the police chief.
“Chief (Joseph) Gaudett has proven that he can run a department that can successfully beat back crime in the city,” Finch said in a statement late Friday afternoon. “He’s also proven to be a trustworthy leader in protecting the streets of the state’s largest city.”
Finch added: “And this further provides continuity as the city goes forward.”
Full story here.
News release from Finch:
Today, Mayor Bill Finch announced that he is reappointing Police Chief Joseph Gaudett Jr. to his post as the top law enforcement official in the state’s largest city.
Police Chief Gaudett was initially appointed to a five-year term–and his contract was approved by the city council–in December 2010. With the expiration date of his contract approaching, Mayor Finch exercised his authority to reappoint Police Chief Gaudett to a second five-year term.
Authority is granted to the mayor to reappoint the police chief by the Bridgeport City Charter–which was recently pointed out by the news site Only in Bridgeport–with the following language:
“The person so appointed shall hold office for a term of five (5) years from the effective date of his appointment but may be removed for just cause. A person holding the position of Chief of police may, only within 150 days of the end of each term, be reappointed by the mayor for one additional term of five (5) years, effective upon the expiration of the chief’s current term, without the need for further examination or testing.”
In response, Mayor Finch noted that his reappointment of Police Chief Gaudett is due in part to trusted leadership, proven ability to keep our streets safe, and devotion to working with the re-entry community.
“Police Chief Gaudett has proven himself to be a trustworthy leader as Bridgeport’s top law enforcement official,” said Mayor Finch. “He’s made tough decisions that have resulted in a stronger department. He’s earned the trust of our community by serving as a strong voice for fair and honest law enforcement practices. He’s led the charge in cracking down on crime in the state’s largest city, which has resulted in some of the lowest crime rates the city has experienced in nearly a half-century. And, through his work with Project Longevity, he’s successfully brought officers, community partners, and the state to the table in order to ensure that those re-entering our community after serving time are set up for future success. For these reasons and many others, I’m honored to reappoint Police Chief Gaudett to a second five-year term.”
Ø Click here for a recent op-ed from Police Chief Joseph Gaudett Jr. (RE: law enforcement efforts in Bridgeport under his leadership): bit.ly/1zMEjCV.
With the five-year reappointment, Police Chief Gaudett is contracted to serve as Bridgeport’s top law enforcement official until December 2020.
Not surprising, but disappointing nonetheless. Bill Finch has proven, time and time again, to be a petty and vindictive man. He acts like a guy who was smacked around and bullied back in elementary school. Probably wet the bed, too.
Really, who didn’t see this coming?
To be honest, I didn’t believe this would be his parting shot. I didn’t realize giving Gaudett another five-year contract was important. Ganim did deserve the opportunity to appoint his own. I just don’t understand why saving his job was so important.
Regarding Chris Meyer’s comment, does he really believe Gaudett would turn it down? Well, in the end, Mayor Finch is still the Mayor and has the right to do what he needs to do before Monday night at 12:01. Ganim will survive this blip that was just not necessary. I hate politics! Wait, I love politics, but not the drama!
Steve,
No comments on your Thanksgiving meal this year? If Lennie serves up ‘varmint’ as an offering to readers, we await your thoughts equally!
As for you not ‘loving’ DRAMA? I mean Steve, can we be honest? When will the fat lady sing, Steve? Time will tell.
John, Thanksgiving was at The Capital Grille in Stamford. Amazing meal. I mean amazing. Steak! We will have a proper Thanksgiving meal next week. Third year at The Capital Grille. I guess there are many people who bypass the turkey. Thanks for inquiring. Hope your Thanksgiving was great. I am grateful I still have things to be grateful for.
C’mon Steven. If Gaudett takes the job he’ll have to deal with a hostile administration and a police force that has absolutely no confidence in his ability to lead. They’ll force him to quit.
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Bridgeport-police-chief-wants-body-cams-for-6238447.php
You sir, are a mental case!
Well, we get the parting shot from a petty little man known as Bill Finch. I know Joe Gaudett and he is a nice guy but he has been unable to get the police department in order.
One of the major problems in the PD are the four deputies who are presently serving. They come from within the ranks and are members of the union. There is nowhere else this kind of mismanagement takes place. The deputies should serve at the discretion of the chief and should not be members of the union. The deputies could get together and ambush any plans the chief (any chief) has for changes in the department.
We now owe Gaudett approx. $550,000 over the next five years. Just great.
Finally! We agree on something, Andy. Finch is committing political suicide. Screw him and doofus Gaudett. Imagine that conversation.
Finch: Hey Gaudett, the boys in the PD hate you so much and you are doing such a piss-poor job on crime reduction, I’m going to re-up you but only to stick it to them and Ganim.
Gaudett: As usual, whatever you want, boss. I’ve let you tell me what to do all along, so what the heck!
This makes it clear Bill Finch doesn’t give a rat’s ass about his political legacy.
Unlike a lot of people, I hold the deputy chiefs at fault for Gaudett’s failure. Everything I am about to say is Gaudett’s fault because the buck stops at the top. Is Gaudett responsible for the missing money from the evidence locker? No, the deputy in charge of that locker is to blame. Who is to blame for no one being arrested for this theft? The deputy in charge of the evidence room.
There was a time when there was only one deputy chief, now there are four plus Nardozzi the chief of the department. Just what in hell do all these deputies do? I know one thing, we are paying over $400,000 per year for these guys. Can they get workmen’s comp for bumping into each other all day?
To the street cops I say Thank You.
This re-appointment may be legal but it was clearly inappropriate given the results of the recent election.
Nothing new here, that’s the SOB Bill Finch is and has always been.
Par for the course with Finch and his Finchettes! Shitcan them all, Joe. They are all vindictive, retaliatory pieces of shit. Do us taxpayers a favor and clean house! Give it a good cleaning!
What’s sad is Finch chose to act like a baby and stick it to the new mayor-elect, vs looking out for the citizens of Bridgeport. It shows who he really is and was. I’m not as amazed as I thought I would be, but clearly he leaves the city with a disgusting taste in the mouths of those even who thought he was good for Bridgeport; the fact is he knows cancelling that contract would cost the city money and who pays for that, the citizens do. Careless and disappointing. The fact our police officers don’t have something so simple as first aid kits after requested, should disgust the citizens of this city. Just a shame … it will reaffirm voting for Ganim was the right choice after all because if this is how he worked and works, he needed to go too. This city can only pray the incoming mayor can fix this disaster Finch is creating even further than before he lost the election. Can’t wait to honestly leave this place eventually and it saddens me to think this way because I love this city and always had hope for it. I’m not so sure after all if it does, and NO I do not believe Ganim is a bad choice for the city as if anyone will now work cleaner than ever is someone who will be watched by so many. So I’m not into getting or desiring approval by anyone for my thoughts why or on who should be mayor or not, but seeing this makes me feel good Finch is leaving … bad taste!
Just Amazed, why not tell us how you really feel? Sometimes politics just sucks!
I just don’t usually invest time into speaking my mind. Then I would become like some on this site. No matter what we think, it’s not going to change anything and some people I read on this site invest way too much time and energy and live in misery for things they cannot change. So that’s why I am usually low key. 🙂
Just Amazed,
While you have chosen this moment to register your dismay, think of all the lost opportunities where you, motivated by your ‘love of the city,’ could have raised the subject of first aid kits, which is so disgusting to you. Frankly I am more disgusted by the way in which City Hall has managed most City affairs such that we cannot tell who is doing what to whom but only guess and listen to rumor.
For instance, there is a citizen body called the Police Commission. During the Finch years where have they put a spotlight on the transition from City Pension Plan B to State MERF and shared same with taxpayers? Where have they noticed and spoken out about the reduction in numbers of police available for duty? Where has the subject of overtime assumptions being wrong repeatedly for the past five years been raised? And what effect occurs when the leader of the Police Commission, also a District chair of the DTC, becomes campaign chair for the winner of the Democratic primary? What does a taxpayer do when informed the operating budget of the Police Department is running at about $90,000,000 today with local taxpayer contributions larger than we put into the education budget? Time will tell.
I wholeheartedly agree but that’s why I mentioned something so simple as first aid kits. The rest really way over the top just why I find something so simple as a first aid kit disgusting there are police cruisers that do not have them after having been requested.
I agree with Dave Walker, “This re-appointment may be legal but it was clearly inappropriate given the results of the recent election.”
Whether or not Chief Gaudet has been doing a good or a bad job is irrelevant. Joe Ganim has made it clear he does not wish to work with Gaudett and that should be the end of it. A bad relationship between the mayor and the chief of police is bad for the city as is a $550,000 payout.
Bad move, Bill.
The payout is one thing but look at how much both the fire chief and police chief are paid yearly right now, Finch has allowed them to receive their pension now along with their paycheck which is illegal, but the city council said nothing and did nothing.
Ron,
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
Help me to understand whether you are looking for the City Council to speak out on this matter of apparent ‘double dipping,’ or were you looking for the City Attorney as ‘city counsel’ to note something illegal and speak up?
Where is the CT statute or City Charter provision that addresses this issue? Time will tell.
LOL JML neither, in fact even both unions were scared and said nothing.
$550,000 is nothing compared to the amount our new Mayor stole from the city during his past administration, so that does not seem to bother anyone when he got re-elected and this does? How soon we forget!
What does Ganim’s past have to do with the very real possibility Finch’s renewal of Gaudett’s contract will cost the taxpayers of Bridgeport over half a million dollars? Why shouldn’t this bother people? Joe Ganim won the election and will be Bridgeport’s mayor–end of discussion. It’s time to move on and do what we can to help him do a good job.
BTW–I supported Finch in the primary and MJF in the general election.
Agreed, first we need to get the cops their bazookas, tanks and body cameras. I don’t know, cops like bazookas and tanks, body cameras not so much. Second we need to re-focus on those large affordable housing projects with 40 years of tax abatements that put undue burdens on Bridgeport City Homeowners, with “The Revitalization of Neighborhoods through Affordable Housing Act.” By replacing the abandoned, burnt-out, vacant lots that are plaguing neighborhoods and diminishing property value with smaller affordable housing units =, while refocusing the larger parcels of land with commercial development. We need to attract big-money developers, with deep, deep, abyss pockets. So we can raze the coal power plant and develope it with something that would give Bridgeport residents a decent pay with decent benefits which will meet their skills level the BOE is currently providing. I’ll BET there’s something out there that should suffice until the BOE gets better at educating Bridgeport’s students. Oh! And trees, lots and lots of trees. I like trees.
I agree totally, people need to get over it. He’s the mayor, get over it. And basically I would pretty much consider this move just as bad as any other thing they may have accused them of because this is throwing the taxpayers’ money right down the drain especially when it was very clear they do not want to work with the current police chief. So it’s a legal way of actually abusing the taxpayers money. Grrr.
I don’t know who you are, but get your facts straight. Joe Ganim did not steal money from the City. At that time his judgment was not on track and he crossed the line in another way, but he did not steal money from the City.
No Lisa, he didn’t steal from the people of the city of Bridgeport. He cost them in lost revenues. Get YOUR facts straight.
Lisa,
During the campaign this year with Joe Ganim’s felonies paraded before the voting public quite regularly, I detected an attempt to separate the illegal behavior that ultimately put Mayor-elect Ganim on trial and found guilty from his activities as Mayor. I did not understand those attempts necessarily as the leverage that Joe had in the illegal dealings was his position as Mayor.
However, you continue the storyline “Joe made poor choices but the taxpayer was not abused” by theft from the City, I continue my curiosity about awarding life insurance policies to five or six key people that cost nearly one million dollars drawn from an account that had no relation to compensation for key persons nor to funding benefits for City employees.
I have always assumed the City paid about $900,000 to an insurer for Ganim and the others for a single-premium life insurance policy, death benefit unstated. That might have created compensation to Ganim in a given year in excess of $300,000, for example. Did the City file 1099 forms? Did the people involved pay taxes on the windfall? Or did they return the money to the City after the policy was rescinded?
Lisa, as historian for all of us, can you shed any light on the questions I raise? Where were the checks and balances in place at that time to forestall such behavior? Where are they today? Time will tell.
Okay, I’m keeping my mouth shut.
We do not forget. Ganim went to jail for his “mistakes” and lost seven years of his freedom. Ganim was elected Mayor and has every right to pick his administration. Karma is strange.
Karma’s a bitch. When’s she gonna knock on your front door?
My personal take on this is, it’s about the body cameras. Chief Gaudett want them, Ganim said he wants them. More importantly I think they’re necessary. So that’s something they can work on. Most of this is political in nature, in the form of favoritism within the police force. Such as promotion, overtime, job assignments, etc. Nothing to do with public safety for the most part. Personally I think Obama should make an executive order requiring any cop with two abusive complaints against them to were a body camera. This would take the burden of the financial cost to large cities to equip all their officers at once, it will hopefully stop those cops who are overly aggressive from being overly aggressive when making an arrest. I’m not saying cops don’t have to be aggressive in making an arrest, I’m saying cops don’t have to be aggressive when it’s not warranted. Some cops don’t have the temperament or lost it along the way. Either way, it’s see no evil hear no evil until you’re the one with all you teeth knocked out. This one and like minded, are most definitely going to spend eternity sitting in their patrol car with tinted windows that don’t see out
www .youtube.com/watch?v=04NM3D6upVM
AMEN!
I never voted for Ganim. Sheesh, Bill Finch is petty.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone because Finch is and has been a vindictive and mean-spirited man. This just shows everyone he hates Mayor Ganim more than he loves Bridgeport. The residents of Bridgeport knew this and voted his ass out of office.
I think it was both unwise and inappropriate for Bill Finch to make such an important appointment (with a five-year term) on his way out the door. Under the terms of the Charter Mayor Finch has had the ability to make this appointment since last summer. If he thought the chief deserved reappointment, why didn’t he do it long ago?
That said, he clearly had the authority to make the civil service appointment, which does not require Council approval.
Phil, how about Gaudett’s contract, does that require council approval?
I think that depends on the particular provision involved. Bear in mind, Police Chief is a civil service position and, except for the appointment process and the term of office, is subject to the civil service provisions of the Charter (Charter, Chapter 13, Section 2(b)).
The police commission may have final say.
I think Finch is banking on Gaudett brokering a deal where he goes into a different department like Communications and then Gaudett hires Finch as his Deputy thereby getting Finch his two years needed for his pension, that’s a conspiracy theory and a half.
Finch is already vested, pension-wise.
Well, that just ruined a nice little idea.
Stick a fork in Finch. He’s all done. Once again, he’s proving he is unemployable. No potential employer would take a chance with this sociopath.
Paul Timpanelli owes Finch a job because it was Timpy who pushed Finch into all those tax abatements for those low-paying jobs.
The Ganim administration will find a way to get rid of Chief Gaudett, legal machinations or just make his working life unmitigated hell.
Joseph P. Ganim has yet to earn the people’s trust. He’s working on it. I’m sure Joseph Gaudett is a nice guy. He just doesn’t know how to manage an urban police department. This is Bridgeport, Connecticut’s largest city. A gritty, hard-assed place. Gaudett would be better employed as chief of a small-town department, Podunk or East New Bumfuck.
What other bridges did Mr. Grinch burn? Gaudett can’t be the only one.
Is the for sale sign up at the Grinch estate?
No way the unemployable Finch can afford the taxes on his house plus he is not the most popular person in Bridgeport and I’m sure if he needed a cop they wouldn’t be thrilled to help him, which all makes for an uncomfortable existence in our city he tried to destroy.
The staff level of cuts Ganim will have to make, the furloughs, the layoffs, the TAX increases due to a petty little man and his vendetta against the city he claimed to love will be unprecedented. All because he is a terrible human.
Ganim is starting with his own office. Everyone in the cabinet will be making way less than Finch’s gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Then shit will flow downhill.
You know this HOW?
He is in the rark completely!
I know. You will soon also, say Tuesday-ish.
Frank,
You are correct about how gravity works to move material downhill. But some of your frequent posts are beginning to look perilously close to Steve Auerbach’s during the 2015 mayoral campaign. Steve’s record: too frequent prophecy … infrequent accuracy.
Politicians, both winners and losers, “love” the city, each in their own way. When we provide them with a plurality at election time, we are provided an opportunity to see how they will behave. Finch will be offstage in less than 100 hours after nearly eight years in office. Then we will begin to see “Joe Ganim–City Mayor-II.”
Each of us can get to see what words like ‘open, accountable, transparent and honest’ mean as used by the new team. We can observe whether integrity is well understood in the sequel. More importantly we can begin to understand City priorities through Ganim’s lens today and where scarce resources will be placed to produce what kind of results. Will they focus on safety, education, economic development including jobs for workers residing in the City or will they chase other objectives? Time will tell.
Weeks ago I said Ricci will be PF director, that was announced, Flatto as Budget boss, Gomes as CAO and Roache as COS were my other predictions, let’s see how I do come Tuesday.
If Gaudett had any class, he would say no to this. He has to know his reappointment is only to stick it to the cops and Ganim. Of course I’m not sure the Chief has any class. We already know he has no sack.
Integrity? Don’t expect much in that direction with Joe. Watch all the Testa-related positions. They will make you sick. Same old shit. Watch Joe Tiago! Let’s see if he gets rid of his no-show job for a legitimate one. Along with Mario’s good ole boys.
Lennie,
I do believe the contract is the answer.
Ganim should reinstitute residency language for both the Police and Fire Chiefs. If the ability to collect the pension is in the contract it should be removed. (Unless Joe has promised this to AJ.)
If not then the City Attorney should render a new opinion on this benefit.
If this is not enough to push him out then maybe it’s enough to level the negotiations.
Of course, if all Joe does is appoint AJ, let him live out of town, let him double dip, let him be appointed Acting Chief and not provisional, then Joe will be no different than Bill. Which is what I have believed all along.
All department heads should be asked for letters of resignation, those the Mayor chooses to keep on should be willing to re-negotiate their contracts or agreements, those not being kept should be notified within a specified time. It doesn’t surprise me. It does however, give us a glimpse of how this City has been run for the last eight years.
Hector, I’m in full agreement.
If you were Gaudett, would you have declined the new contract?
Would you refuse a large buyout of your contract?
It’s easy for everyone to say but $500,000 is a lot of money as is a buyout of say $300K.
If I had a contract, why should I renegotiate it?
Andy, this isn’t about $500,000 the Chief would make, it’s about $1 million. The Chief with his pension and salary is making in excess of $200,000 per year and that’s in access of $1 million over five years.
Dave Walker, I’ve never been fortunate enough to make that kind of money, but I don’t think the Chief possess that kind of integrity to walk away from that much money.
This is an ethics and integrity check for Chief Gaudett. He should decline any extension. Mayor Finch’s last-minute extension was clearly inappropriate and Mayor-Elect Ganim has already stated he does not want Gaudett as Chief of Police. It is my understanding the Chief has been paid a salary in addition to his pension for five years. As a result, the people of Bridgeport have paid him enough. Let’s hope he does the right thing.
Don’t hold your breath, Dave. No one in Bill Finch’s inner circle has a passing familiarity with integrity.
Come on. Money Talks and bullshit walks.
I have full faith attorney R. Christopher Meyer will solve this Gaudett issue. Meyer after all exposed the Finch alternate party scam they worked out with DeParle, showed Finch and his company the fools they were and are and how they lost the election themselves.
In the unlikely event this doesn’t happen, take Gaudett’s $70,000 pimp mobile away, give him a smart car, let Finch be his chauffeur, throw the rest of the Finch crew in the back seat, don’t forget Timpanelli and his hand organ and monkey (he can provide the music), and Bridgeport can see its money truly well spent. Its own clown car.
A smart car? Fuck that. Give him a second-hand Yugo.
GOP Chair Slater Calls Out Bridgeport Legislators On Syrian Refugees, where the hell is John Slater on this issue? This where the Republican Party needs to be speaking out, instead of Syrian refugees. Ganim’s election and Finch’s decision here is something for the GOP to start to recruit with, but no.
This decision has nothing to do with Mario Testa and the DTC or the machine.
Ron, sometimes a decision is so bad that best thing you can do shut up and let the facts speak for themselves. This is one of those times.
Keith, you are a vindictive idiot. You did not mind your wife collecting a paycheck from Finch and if Finch won maybe even a job.
You know what, Fabrizi had his own habits so now it’s my kid’s fault the city is in trouble. Actually the city started to be in trouble when a punk like you was elected to the council, then planted a phony resume so everyone thought you were smarter than you are. You and I both know if you had a brain you would have two things to play with.
BTW shithead, do you still live by the old Read’s building where you made a total ass of yourself trying to stop Ann Coulter from speaking? If you would like to talk to my son about his time in jail, stop over.
I am certainly not going to involve myself in this pissing match. However, I do want to go on record as stating that Keith’s playing Ray Charles’ rendition of America the Beautiful at the Tea Party rally attended by Ann Coulter was “his finest hour.” Once again Keith, I tip my hat to you.
Well John, you did put yourself into this pissing match. Would you feel the same way if this idiot did the same thing at a Hillary Clinton rally?
Well Andy, perhaps I would feel the same way. After all, I’m supporting Bernie Sanders. Now if he did it to Bernie, that would be an entirely different matter–just having some fun, Andy. 🙂
BIRTH CERTIFICATE??? Really, I thought something like you was hatched!!! Keith, you really are an idiot.
What, that you don’t have a birth certificate? You want to see a coward, look in the mirror.
Does urban planning sound familiar? Now listen Keith, you know and I know you are a phony, just admit it. I am done dealing with you. I have had my fun, now it’s time to go find another young idiot.
You believe you did your graduate studies in Urban Planning??? Don’t you know, dumbass? BTW dumbass, I don’t drink and I don’t hang at Testo’s. All these degrees and the best you could do while here was a minimum-wage job with the city.
In regard to Chief Gaudett’s reappointment: I recall a Bridgeport City Charter requirement that both the police chief and fire chief must reside in Bridgeport. I know it was in effect during the Sweeney Administration. I don’t recall any charter referenda during the intervening years, to the present, that proposed to rescind that requirement. It would seem there is some probability that current, online and hard copies of the City Charter might have been scrubbed, in regard to the inclusion of that requirement–for obvious reasons.
A retrospective study of city actions regarding the city charter over the past 25 years or so would seem to be in order at this time. There should be records from the City Clerk’s office, in this regard, as well as official copies of the city charter covering each of these years, that would allow a determination of when this requirement disappeared from the charter requirements regarding the residency of the police and fire chiefs. The two studies, along with a search of records of election outcomes for this period, should be able to confirm whether or not the residency requirement is still in effect regarding the police and fire chiefs. (Lennie, do you have any recollection about charter changes for this period in this regard? Perhaps the Connecticut Post could assign an eager young reporter the task of accomplishing such research. Do any OIB bloggers have a handle on if, and when, the charter change referendum item rescinding the police and fire chief residency was put on the ballot and whether or not it passed? I pay close attention to such issues and can’t recall such an item appearing on any Bridgeport ballot during the past 25 years.)
In any event; if the residency requirement is still in effect, it puts a whole new spin on the issue of Chief Gaudett’s reappointment.
Beyond the charter issue; for Chief Gaudett to put himself under the auspices of an administration that has already rejected him, especially without any significant public support for his tenure, is career suicide and a guarantee of a tarnished legacy of service.
I hope the Chief makes the right decision and voluntarily moves on. He is a decent, intelligent man, but not the right fit for Chief of BPD at this juncture.
I don’t claim to know anything about charter laws in any form. But maybe you are mistaken about something you thought was in the charter that was actually not. Either way, cops need their body cameras.
Hey Keith, whose campaign are you and your wife going to screw up next?