From Mayor Bill Finch:
This week, Mayor Bill Finch joined 280 Mayors from across the country including Connecticut Mayors Pedro Segarra of Hartford, David Martin of Stamford, and Neil O’Leary of Waterbury in the nation’s capitol for the 82nd Annual Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The economy, jobs, innovation and transportation topped the agenda during the three-day meeting, which comes just a week before the President’s State of the Union address. Mayors in attendance met with Congressional leaders and administration officials to urge Congress to continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to spur job creation and economic growth in America’s cities and metropolitan areas, many of which are still plagued with high unemployment.
Mayor Finch, and other mayors in attendance, met with President Obama on Thursday at the White House to discuss job growth and innovation. During the meeting, Mayor Finch participated in a panel discussion on “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change Locally,” where he talked about the City’s BGreen2020 initiative which aims to reduce the City’s carbon footprint, dependence on foreign oil, save energy and help create jobs. Mayor Finch serves as a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Advisory Committee and co-chair of the USCM’s Energy Independence and Climate Protection Task Force.
“Participating in the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting provides me with the opportunity to showcase the city’s success on a national stage with my fellow mayors,” said Mayor Finch. “Regardless of geography, population or party affiliation, mayors face similar challenges every day, the U.S. Conference of Mayors is an opportunity to gather all of us together to work on how we can overcome those challenges and move our cities forward.”
“The U.S. Conference of Mayors advocates for the cities across the country with the federal government, making sure that our leadership in Washington, D.C., is aware of the issues that are most important to mayors and their residents,” said Mayor Finch.
The complete agenda for the 82nd Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors can be found online at www.usmayors.org/82ndWinterMeeting/media/agenda-0121.pdf.
*** STORYTELLING TIME! ***
I have a question about this from Mayor Finch, who wrote the report and whom were they writing it to? If it’s Mayor Finch then why is he speaking to the taxpayers in the second person like these comments, Mayor Bill Finch joined 280 Mayors, Mayor Finch, and other mayors in attendance, “Participating in the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting provides me with the opportunity to showcase the city’s success on a national stage with my fellow mayors,” said Mayor Finch.
Something new from Bill Finch … bullshit. There is no success in Bridgeport to share with anyone though if you travel far enough, you might be able to pull off a tall tale or two. Can hardly wait to see if the mayor brought back some economic development opportunities–something that might actually increase the grand list, create jobs and produce something meaningful in this city. Addressing the climate change is special, really special but not at the expense of the present and future of 146,000 people. Time to stay at home, show up at the office and actually produce some results. After six or is it seven years (?), it’s about time.
As usual, the mayor is full of shit.
Did Mayor Finch mention the delay in this year’s revaluation process? The money to pay Vision for their work has been approved in the past and current budgets. The request for services was issued late by the City relative to five years ago, and after the City was initially denied the request to postpone.
And now lots of rumors are circulating that the results are very disturbing especially in certain neighborhoods, and are more than enough reason for a push on the State legislature to postpone our current reval for an added two years, for those who are concerned with rough waters for those in power.
Does it mean residential properties in general have taken a beating all over the City? Have condo owners been hurt harder than single-family homes with more underwater properties? While certain neighborhoods may see property values reduced, perhaps they are not as reduced as others and therefore, no matter what increased mil rate was used and even assuming a flat budget, they would see significant increases? Are these neighborhoods more politically active, or do they vote more regularly?
If only some of this is true and the City is sitting on the results taxpayers have funded and not sharing the facts, it is an abuse of power. Time is getting very short in the valuation and appeals process before budget approval and mil rate determination. What do the October 1, 2013 valuations indicate? Which stakeholders will be advantaged or disadvantaged by release (or by postponement for two years)? Time will tell.