Multiple speakers are scheduled to address the City Council Monday night on this controversial agenda item: “Public Safety and Transportation Committee Report re: Resolution calling for Transparency and Accountability with the Department of Homeland Security.”
The resolution has split some council members, those who want to protect the immigrant community from ICE and those who maintain the resolution has no practical force and fear federal funding blowback from the Trump administration.
City Attorney Tyisha Toms also recently weighed in with an unsolicited opinion: “It is reasonable to believe, based on recent media coverage, that employees and municipalities have, at times, faced what appears to be retaliation for speaking out.”
See updated agenda with back up info here
The link also includes the updated pay ranges for unaffiliated employee salaries tied to the contract of the city supervisors union.
Things got heated a bit, Martinez accused Rev Lee of being racist,Lee getting up there in age evidently is having trouble hearing these days therefore didn’t hear the passage of the ICE transparency resolution,when called upon to speak on another matter all together,Lee took a position that everyone “needs to get their papers in order if you don’t have them,Martinez took exception to that statement,telling Lee that” everyone’s situation is different”,then preceded to accuse Rev Lee of being racist.It was a black eye on an otherwise joyful night passing the ice resolution & saying farewell to some councilors who aren’t returning.
Personally I agree with Miss Martinez,but felt for Rev Lee,who frankly looked bewildered sitting there and getting spoken to( yelled at) like Martinez did..
I was present with comments and present them below. Casual Civics Conversations will hold a one hour session at URSA Cafe and Art Gallery at 9AM on Saturday. You are welcome to understand the “bridge” that Bridgeport needs to fashion at this time around CIVICS, in order to speak and listen, to act and reflect, to participate in the subjects of governance and ‘politics’:
Comments to City Council -11-3-2025
Ladies and gentlemen of the City Council greetings on this Monday session of the legislative body just before balloting 2025. We will know the details of voting totals within the next 48 hours, not only as to your future as representatives in the ten districts but also to the response of registered voters to the prospect of a new and improved City Charter, to replace the 1993 model that has outlived its usefulness, perhaps.
At a time when many of our Bridgeport residents are worrying about food security, Social Security continuation, and rent subsidies from HUD the focus has been taken away from local matters. Perhaps we shall look at the results in terms of voter totals and question where CIVICS is practiced in the City when they are seen? Compared to 5351 votes in 2021?
Casual Civics Conversations have been held across the Library System for months previous to when materials were developed. Now we have a brochure that contains some of the many invitations I have extended to each of you to hold such conversations in each district. How did you respond or show interest? Do you think the subject of becoming and continuing as an informed voter was well in hand? Or did you seriously believe that keeping voters in the dark, though registered and uninformed by the Town Committee itself, is a better, more controllable environment?
Personally, I have been disappointed by civic response to the more than 25 meetings and hearings by the Charter Commission and the City Council over major and minor details of that document, some debated and left alone; others revised for simplicity of understanding, ease of administration, and to decrease unnecessary taxpayer expense. More needs to be accomplished with the document at its next review. But oversight in the meantime is a worthy objective so that we can eliminate the 1993 direction to the City to create “an economic development and housing commission”, ignored for three decades. We must do better and get all citizens participating. A new Charter provides steps!! Time will tell.