Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst pulls no punches in this commentary in support of a state government reform bill to enforce the City Charter prohibiting city employees from serving on the City Council. In the commentary Herbst criticizes city and state officials and the municipal lobbying arm Connecticut Conference of Municipalities for promoting conflicts of interest. (Full disclosure: I have served as a past political consultant for Herbst, but had no involvement in crafting this commentary which has been sent to numerous media outlets.) From Herbst:
Connecticut residents have weathered their fair share of corruption in government, and as a result hold a certain amount of healthy skepticism for those who hold public office. This is why I am deeply troubled by efforts being undertaken by some elected officials in Bridgeport and Hartford to obfuscate legislation that would prevent a privileged few from financially benefiting from their elected office.
State Representative Jack Hennessy and State Senator Marilyn Moore have co-sponsored legislation that would prevent some in government from taking advantage of their elected office, and for that I applaud them. House Bill 5886 would prevent municipal employees from serving on their local Town or City Council at the same time they are employed by that municipality. Currently, the law prevents municipal employees from serving on Boards of Finance, where budget decisions and employment intersect. However, twenty-four Connecticut communities have a City or Town Council that functions like a Board of Finance, therefore creating a loophole that allows these elected officials to serve as both employees and elected officials simultaneously.
This current loophole allows four Bridgeport city employees to serve on the Bridgeport City Council. With the full support of Mayor Bill Finch, one of those employees is Tom McCarthy. McCarthy is the President of the Bridgeport City Council and also serves the City as a paid employee in his role as Deputy Director of Labor Relations. As the President of the City Council, McCarthy formulates the City’s legislative agenda. He is involved in approving labor contracts as a City Council member but also negotiates those same municipal employee labor agreements as the City’s Deputy Director of Labor Relations.
McCarthy’s office also hears labor grievances. This kind of conflict of interest is exactly why so many distrust those who hold public office. When a privileged few are given an unfair advantage, residents, businesses and the media rightly lose their faith in government. When the integrity, ethics and judgment of political leaders and decision makers is called into question, it obstructs the kind of progress that so many of us are trying to make in our communities.
It is no coincidence that the AFL-CIO has lined up with State Senator Cathy Osten, herself a former union leader, to try and kill this reform legislation. Of course organized labor wants to see this legislation defeated. McCarthy is the beneficiary of political support from organized labor. The longer he stays in office wearing two hats, the better it serves special interests in getting what they want–the very type of behavior that turns people off to the political process.
Even more alarming and in fact disappointing is the fact that the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), has lined up with Mayor Finch and Senator Osten to oppose this legislation. While Trumbull no longer holds a membership with CCM, I have encouraged their leadership and other members to reconsider their position on this legislation. Seven of the eight members of Bridgeport’s legislative delegation support this important government reform measure. Yet, Mayor Finch, Senator Osten, organized labor and even CCM are doing everything they can to prevent a vote on this legislation. No municipal chief executive, Republican or Democrat, should attach their name to an effort clearly dedicated to defeating sensible, common sense reform.
The Hennessy Bill is an appropriate remedy to maintain the separation between the executive and legislative branch in any municipality. This same separation allows teachers to serve on local boards and commissions so long as they are not a member of their employing Board of Education. This same separation exists in the Connecticut Constitution prohibiting members of the Connecticut General Assembly from also being State employees. Likewise the Federal Constitution prohibits members of Congress from working for the Federal Government. The good people of Bridgeport deserve better. They deserve a government that places the public interest ahead of special interests. Their hard earned tax dollars should not be asked to fund a government that places cronyism and patronage ahead of the public good.
Sadly, we have come to a time in Connecticut where so many expect so little from those in government. Every day there are politicians saying one thing and doing another. From deficits, to higher taxes, to bloated government and passing the buck to avoid public scrutiny, the people of Connecticut, both Republican and Democrat, are fed up with business as usual. This legislation helps to put an end to some of that, by restoring openness and transparency and removing barriers that benefit only a few.
I urge all legislators, in both parties, to bring this bill to a full vote of the General Assembly. I urge Governor Malloy to support this bill and sign it into law. And I ask my fellow Mayors and First Selectmen from both parties to urge CCM to reconsider their position on this legislation.
This is bigger than one city. This is about enacting common sense reform that opens government, prevents abuse and helps restore faith that the ultimate power still rests in the hands of we the people. On this issue, there is no gray area. The problem is easily identified and the solution is crystal clear. To quote my late football coach, Jerry McDougall, it is time for the bureaucrats and self-preservationists to lead, follow or get out of the way. The people of Connecticut deserve better.
Thank you, Timothy Herbst.
Timmy Herbst for Mayor!!!
Mayor of the city of Bridgeport.
Tim,
Thank you for looking across the border and providing some statesmanlike comments relative to the battle being fought in Hartford on 5866.
I have two thoughts on your overall comments which are great. You state the legal issue, “However, twenty-four Connecticut communities have a City or Town Council that functions like a Board of Finance,” and I will tell you, I wish this were practically speaking true, as it should be. However, if a suburban Finance Board were to attend our B&A meetings or study the minutes and other work product, no one could conclude there is any real Financial body check and balance to the Executive in Bridgeport.
I think you will find my second observation easy to accept as well. Tom McCarthy is not just wearing two hats, a job hat in Labor Relations and an elective hat as President of the Council. For isn’t he wearing a Town Committee hat? And isn’t he an elected Council person with responsibilities to taxpayers and neighbors from his District? And then doesn’t he have membership in very interesting Boards and Commissions, like the Airport Commission where it takes so long to weave a story of how Bridgeport taxpayers get to pay for a Stratford resident’s driveway? And in his work is the grievance work sometimes at odds with his negotiating duties? My goodness, don’t you feel sorry for the conflicts with which he has to deal daily? And then he likes stories that end happily but too many of the City issues he faces do not submit to “happily ever after.” And finally as someone who has graduated from law school and admitted to the bar, I wonder how conflicted he gets when his own Council is operating in discord with their own Ordinances. Or how distressed he gets when he suggests to Council persons that they use taxpayer money, in a “caucus” not a City meeting, to advance their political image with a charitable contribution. It’s almost too much for one person to bear, isn’t it? Time will tell.
Supposedly Anthony Musto is considering a run for Trumbull FS against Herbst. This may be Timmy’s way of telling Musto to expect to get hammered over his opposition to this bill.
Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst. Hey, isn’t he a John Fabrizi guy?
Well, Mr. Herbst didn’t mention his mom is the head of the board of education in Trumbull, and as First Selectman he proposes the annual education budget. Sort of the same thing, no?
No. If the state law were addressing immediate family members then you might have a case. But with the city council the mayor has certain pressure points with city employees who get paid by the city. And receive family medical benefits. Or with the city council, a council member’s supervisor has come before their subordinate looking for a budget increase or approval of a grant or contract. That is a conflict.
What sway does Mrs. Herbst have?? Threatening not to invite him over for Sunday dinner???
Lol, I think she has plenty of “sway,” it’s his mother for God’s sake. Do you not think the budget issue doesn’t comes up at said Sunday dinner? “Timothy, I need another $200,000 to fund so and so, make it happen, and please pass the potatoes.”
You don’t know Timmy like I do. I don’t think he would have problem telling Mom to check the cupboard ’cause the last time he looked the cupboard was bare.
Of course a Trumbull Republican’s definition of bare is a lot different than a Bridgeport Democrat’s.
The Oust Finch Committee will meet same place same time.
Thanks Tim, and thanks for calling into that radio show today. I think we really need our mayor to take a side on this one. Yes or No, Bill? Which looks worse, Ganim running a redemption campaign or the City Council president at the beck and call of the mayor?
I don’t understand Mayor Finch’s reluctance to support the proposed legislation banning Bridgeport municipal employees from serving on the City Council. Earlier this morning he finally admitted this practice “doesn’t look good” and I suggest is scaring potential investors away from Bridgeport, not who might run for Mayor of Bridgeport. These potential investors see the conflict of interest in this practice and that the Finch administration has done nothing about it. I guess some things never change.
Ed Adams,
I have no idea whether you are new to OIB or have been a reader, but not a poster, for a long time. However, you obviously live in more than a City of Bridgeport world bounded by all of the historical and cultural memories and practices that cause City practitioners to forget there is a big bright world out there that is truly surprised City practices are as conflicted and unusual as they are. There are investors who can overcome their “shock, awe and crazy laughter” but stay away, but only because they can get the fiscal assist they need for their deal to stay sweet. And at this time it means the other taxpayers will be subsidizing the newer commercial taxpayers. Many long-term businessmen stay away from the unusual because there may be a slight dollar advantage, but eventually the paymaster demands his due, and that date may come at the wrong time. If you are initially clean, nothing to hide about. Best practice? Time will tell.
Considering Trumbull’s treatment of Bridgeport during the past 50 years–there is a long history of exploitation of Bridgeport by Trumbull (e.g., development on our border to use our infrastructure, luring our tax base to Trumbull, etc.), I can’t help but be a bit cynical about this support of a measure to help Bridgeport.
Considering Trumbull would like nothing more than to see Bridgeport’s sewage system “regionalized” (so they could exploit us at a lower rate) and Senator Moore has spoken in terms of “regionalizing” our sewage system -part of her platform when she ran for Senator in the 22nd district (Bridgeport-TRUMBULL-Monroe)in 2014, I am not surprised Trumbull’s First Selectman would support a bill sponsored by Senator Moore.
Also, since Mayor Finch has been slow to move on a new sewer contract with Trumbull, there could be a little bit of retaliation against Finch and Company here. Maybe a little maneuvering to leverage a better sewer deal.
While it is a good bill in that it affirms clean government, it is a bill that will have little or no effect on corruption in Bridgeport or anywhere else. There are just too many ways for corrupting elements to influence small-time politicians in distressed municipalities.
So, Trumbull’s support of a bill to help Bridgeport is probably not such a wonderful thing. It buys support for the further “regional” exploitation of Bridgeport, with the end result being Bridgeporters will subsidize Trumbull and Monroe in their efforts to steal what is left of our tax base, and what might become Bridgeport tax base.
Remember, Trumbull would not be the prosperous town it is today if it weren’t for the exploitation of Bridgeport’s infrastructure and the related theft of our tax base. (Our downtown retail exited the city when Trumbull gained access to our sewer system.)
So Tim Herbst’s support of Senator Moore’s bill is probably not so much to cheer about if you think about what it all really means.
Jeff, your points are well taken. HB 5886 will not end corruption in Bridgeport. It will make guidelines consistent with other towns. It will take much more, including changes in enforcement of the ethics ordinance as you have pointed out in the past. At least with no city employees on the city council, it is less likely some votes are a given. Just a few years ago there were seven city employees on the city council.