Sweeping Charter Revision Changes? A Paid And Reduced City Council – What Say You?

A paid City Council?

Reduce the size of the City Council from 20 members to 10?

Open up the gene pool, allowing people who work in Bridgeport, but don’t reside there, to serve on boards and commissions?

Reforms to Civil Service hiring?

Minority-party representation on the City Council?

If a Charter Revision Commission is going to get off the ground for a vote by the people, city decision makers need to step on the gas because specified timelines exist to place questions on the November ballot this off-municipal cycle, led by school board and City Council elections.

Serious changes to the City Charter, Bridgeport’s governing document, have not been addressed in nearly 30 years. In 2012, a charter question for a mayoral-appointed school board was defeated by voters.

Prior to that in the late 1980s, voters authorized the termination of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, a de facto finance board, in favor of the City Council approving the budget. A few years later voters sanctioned mayoral-appointment of the police and fire chiefs up to two five-year contracts. Then, in 1998, voters approved four-year terms for mayor, city clerk and town clerk.

The City Council was not included in the ballot question for a four-year term because polling showed voters wanted to keep the term at two years and would drag the question down.

Pulling together a comprehensive charter panel is no easy task. It needs someone at the helm to shepherd stuff through, work with the appointed panel and be conscious of the election calendar.

Back in the day the city relied on a pro, Phil Smith, an effective wonk who kept the train running on time and worked closely with government stakeholders.

That gets to the next questions: Who will serve on the board and who will be named chair?

Mayor Joe Ganim, if this gets off the ground, will certainly have a few of his cabinet members on the commission to make sure whatever agenda he wants doesn’t go astray. City Council members will certainly have input.

For a chair you’ll need someone who understands procedure. Do you reach back and ask former City Council President Tom McCarthy to chair it? Would he even do it?

How about Superior Court Judge Dale Radcliffe to helm it? He might like to rub his hands together to decide what should stay or be presented to voters. That scream you heard just came from the mayor’s office. He can’t be controlled!

Still, fun to think about.

How about Dennis Murphy, who served Joe Ganim admirably in his first mayoral administration and then became a state commissioner in multiple departments for Governor Dan Malloy.

Lamond Daniels? He served in the mayoral administration of Bill Finch, segued to Norwalk as a key department head for the mayor, ran for Bridgeport mayor in 2023 and then provided Ganim a needed endorsement in the aftermath of the absentee ballot mess that led to four elections running into early 2024. He has said often he wants to be part of something tangible in the city. Why hasn’t Ganim brought him back to Bridgeport government? The pay scale is larger in Norwalk.

Chris Caruso? The two-time mayoral candidate and long-term state assemblyman is on the mend after a gut infection wreaked havoc. He’s back in Bridgeport after a months-long stint in the hospital and rehabilitation looking forward to rejoining the community action.

If the charter panel gets off the ground it has broad authority to examine numerous things.

Some City Council members support a paid legislative branch. They exist on stipends to cover on-the-job expenses. Some City Hall wonks believe the size of the council – 20 members, two per district – is unwieldy.

How about asking voters to approve pay, let’s say $20K per year, with cost of living adjustments, while reducing the size of the legislative body from 20 members to 10: one per district. Or perhaps at-large, serving the entire city rather than subdivision?

What about minority-party representation on the City Council? This provide opportunities for Republicans, and minor party affiliates such as Working Families Party or petitioning candidates. There hasn’t been a Republican on the council for years, the last one Rick Torres, one of the most popular figures in Black Rock.

Wouldn’t it be healthy for more than just Democrats on the body?

There’s also a lot of meowing in City Hall about finding strong candidates to serve on boards and commissions. Appointments are limited to city residents.

Many city employees don’t live in Bridgeport but work there. Why not ask voters to allow appointment, additionally, of folks who work in Bridgeport to boards and commissions? Minus the sleep time, they spend more time in Bridgeport than the suburbs. Working in Bridgeport, they have skin in the game.

Please chew on the ideas above.

Yes, I’ve taken my meds today.