Gomes: Insulting To Ask Taxpayers To Pay More

John Gomes, a former Finch administration official and 2011 mayoral candidate, writes that city taxpayers cannot afford another tax increase as the City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee prepares for a public hearing (tonight 6 p.m. City Hall) on the spending proposal for the budget year that starts July 1. Gomes commentary:

The taxpayers of this city continue to bear the financial burden and total fiscal irresponsibility of City Hall on their back, while its Bridgeport dollars make its way to the highway towards neighboring towns and cities. A large number of city workers don’t live here and for that matter why should they?

Bridgeport has been labeled as the 4th dirtiest city in America according to Forbes Magazine. At the same time H&R Block cites Bridgeport as the #1 most taxed city in America according to the Feb. 15 2013 CT Post article. According to this article, 25% or $12,250 of a household income of $50,000 goes towards property tax; Bridgeport median income in $27,546. Its educational system rates as underperforming and failing its students. To top it all off, we have a political system designed to protect the selected few for personal gain and greed, which seems to be out of touch with the everyday struggles of the citizens it is supposed to represent.

Currently, Bridgeport is faced with a 2013-2014 budget shortfall and Mayor Finch is asking its taxpayers to cough up some more money. Mayor Finch has proposed a $519.9 million dollar budget with a raise for himself which he is asking the City Council to approve consisting of a 2.5 mil rate increase or $400 per average homeowner. In the 2012-13 budgets the Mayor also asked the City Council to approve a 2.7 mil increase or $424 increase per homeowner for a $517.8 million dollar budget. Both in the 2012 and 2013 budgets, the Mayor asked the City Council to approve $110 million in short-term notes. In 2012, the top 50 city wage earners raked in over $2.1 million over their base salaries and in some instances employees doubled their salaries. Others, like his Chief of Staff, received an additional $35,000 and his Chief Administrative Officer received $22,000 over their base pay. Again, in 2013 more millions were paid out to the 50 top city earners. This same Mayor who continues to ask Bridgeport residents to dish out more tax dollars also asked the City Council in Dec. of 2011 to change the city ordinance to give him the authority to grant salary increases up to 15% outside the range the ordinance allowed for his appointees.

Following his re-election in Nov. of 2011, Mayor Finch added more than $462,000 in new staff and salary pay increases and promotions. In some instances, raises ranged from $12,000 to $30,000 per unaffiliated staff. It is insulting for the Mayor to ask the taxpayers year after year to pay out more while many are struggling financially, losing their homes and worrying about their job security. Mayor Finch has averaged a 2% to 3% raise each year for himself and his appointed employees. By the end of Mayor Finch’s second term, he will have received almost $25,000 in salary increase not including usage of City vehicle, gas and other expenses.

I implore the residents of the City of Bridgeport to please not to have short-term memory loss. Hold these elected officials accountable for their lack of financial responsibility and their unwillingness to simply do what they were elected to d–to represent each and every resident in their district with their best interests in mind. Under the current financial situation, every resident is doing “more with less,” while the administration continues to practice their “less is more” mantra.

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8 comments

  1. A lot of facts and figures, thoroughly checked I’m sure.
    I wonder of all the interested mayoral hopefuls is GOMES the only one who writes his own material.
    Finch has a speech writer.
    Gomes represents the people of Bpt and lives their lives.

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  2. Finch has storytellers who help him stay on message, but not always on the facts of the moment. They slip into silence because they are “inconvenient truths.” Last Wednesday night Tom Sherwood told the Council persons gathered to review the CAFR there was a deficit in FY 2012 in the amount of $3.5 Million. Had you heard the Mayor talk about that before? Or the Council note that, and begin to monitor Police OT expenses more closely many months ago? Or ask for a FINAL JUNE 2012 report updating the DRAFT report handed out in July last year? Would that report have line items with final expense and revenue notations that agree with those items entered into the 2013-14 budget? Who would know if that report is not available to the B&A committee? Of course, if they had never received one of those reports in all the years recently retired Bob Curwenn was active on B&A, of what use is such a report? Isn’t it obvious lots of people, including John Gomes and other mayoral or Council candidates need to do a lot of checking and work together? Some people are good at writing, at speaking, at being OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT in their processes. And others, by their comments and their behavior show they are not. Time will tell.

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  3. Wonder why GOMES doesn’t come on here and answer questions we might have on this release.
    It was obviously well thought out and sounds like he’s gearing up to run again.
    For those who say he should run for council first, I hope you didn’t vote for Foster, as she never ran for office either.

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