A state hearing officer has ruled city lawyers directed an illegal executive session of the City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee whose members have been ordered to a training session on the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act following a May meeting that was challenged by retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez after the […]
Entries Tagged as 'Ken Flatto'
Freedom Of Information Raid–City Lawyers Lopezed For Illegal City Council Committee Meeting
October 4th, 2018 · 9 Comments · City Council, News and Events
Tags: Aidee Nieves·Carmen Lopez·Christina Smith·Denese Taylor-Moye·Ernie Newton·Jeanette Herron·Ken Flatto·Maria Pereira·Mark Anastasi·Nestor Nkwo
City Council Approves Budget With No Tax Increase–Education Advocates Cry Schools Shortchanged
May 8th, 2018 · 34 Comments · Analysis and Comment, City Budget, City Council, Education, News and Events
UPDATE: see council budget changes here. The City Council by a 16-3 vote Monday night approved a city budget with no tax increase for the spending year that begins July 1. Councilors Kyle Langan, Pete Spain and Eneida Martinez voted against the budget urging more support for city schools.
Tags: Dennis Bradley·Eneida Martinez·Ernie Newton·Jessica Martinez·Joe Ganim·Ken Flatto·Kyle Langan·Maria Pereira·Maria Zambrano Viggiano·Michelle Lyons·Pete Spain
Lopez Files FOI Complaint Against City, Charging Violations At City Council Meeting
May 5th, 2018 · 30 Comments · City Budget, City Council, News and Events
Retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez on Friday filed a complaint with the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission charging that a meeting on Tuesday by the City Council’s Budget & Appropriations Committee triggered a series of state violations stemming from an improperly noticed executive session for “pending litigation” that also “established a quorum of the […]
Tags: Aidee Nieves·Alfredo Castillo·Carmen Lopez·Chris Meyer·Christina Smith·CT Post·Denese Taylor-Moye·Eneida Martinez·Ernie Newton·Jeanette Herron·Joe Ganim·John Bohannon·Karen Jackson·Ken Flatto·Kyle Langan·Lydia Martinez·Maria Valle·Maria Zambrano Viggiano·Mark Anastasi·Mary McBride-Lee·Nessah Smith·Nestor Nkwo·Pete Spain·Tom McCarthy
A Report From The Trenches, WPCA Scrutiny Leads To Roar Of Reform
April 27th, 2018 · 23 Comments · City Council, News and Events
Sludge is a messy business in more ways than one. The Water Pollution Control Authority is charged with overseeing the city’s treatment and processing of waste water. Understanding the machinations of the agency’s collection process is also messy. Retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez, who is providing pro bono guidance to a City Council committee […]
Tags: Carmen Lopez·Christina Smith·Eneida Martinez·Ernie Newton·Joe Ganim·John Ricci·Ken Flatto·Marcus Brown·Maria Zambrano Viggiano·Mark Anastasi·Michelle Lyons·Pete Spain
School Board Wants Surplus
February 14th, 2018 · 15 Comments · City Budget, City Council, Education, News and Events
On Monday Mayor Joe Ganim announced a surplus of roughly $4.6 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2017. A few hours later the Board of Education voted 7-0 to urge the mayor to hand it over to the school system.
Tags: Brian Lockhart·CT Post·Joe Ganim·Ken Flatto·Maria Pereira
Meanwhile, City Council Members Seek Financial Information
February 13th, 2018 · 5 Comments · City Budget, City Council, News and Events
Citizen fiscal observer John Marshall Lee on Monday attended a financial presentation to the City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee. He files this commentary: Yesterday was a “red letter” day for the City of Bridgeport. The City stood up publicly on two occasions to talk about financial results. In the morning the Mayor announced a […]
For Flatto’s Department, An Achievement In Financial Reporting
October 11th, 2018 · 7 Comments · Analysis and Comment, City Budget, News and Events
It’s not exactly sexy work, and often dizzying crunching budget numbers trying to explain to community watchdogs and City Council members what the financial documents mean. Finance Director Ken Flatto’s department has been awarded, among other U.S. municipalities, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association for the Comprehensive Annual […]
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Tags: Bill Finch·Dan Malloy·Joe Ganim·John Marshall Lee·Ken Flatto