What salaries should be set for city officials and unaffiliated employees? Amendments to these positions, roughly 80, are established in a proposed city ordinance that includes chief appointed positions such as police and fire, discretionary appointments of the mayor, department heads, mayoral staff and support positions.
The ordinance states: “The Mayor may authorize salary increases within the salary ranges established by ordinance or not more than fifteen percent (15%) outside of such salary ranges as the Mayor deems warranted based upon the particular duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the positions and/or the qualifications of the individuals serving in, or to serve in, the positions, provided appropriated funds are available.”
Proposed AMENDMENTS to BPT Code of Ordinances Section 2.36.010
2.36.010 Officers’ and unaffiliated employee salaries.
A. The following position salaries shall be established for all listed unaffiliated positions in this subsection. Position annual salaries and annual salaries for those acting in any of the positions set forth in this section shall be adjusted in accordance with the negotiated across-the-board increases granted to other city supervisors. The Labor Relations Office shall provide the City Clerk with updated ranges set forth in this section, effective as of each July 1st, to reflect such across-the-board increases. Salary ranges for any newly created positions shall be referred to the budget and appropriations committee for review. Salary ranges for acting or appointed positions shall fall within the ranges listed below. The full City Council shall have the power to approve or disapprove the salary ranges recommended by the Mayor and/or budget and appropriations committee. The Mayor may authorize salary increases within the salary ranges established by ordinance or not more than fifteen percent (15%) outside of such salary ranges as the Mayor deems warranted based upon the particular duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the positions and/or the qualifications of the individuals serving in, or to serve in, the positions, provided appropriated funds are available. Thirty (30) days’ prior written notification must be given to the City Council before the Mayor authorizes any salary increase [is given] outside of the salary ranges established by ordinance. [within the salary ranges established in this ordinance.] No individual, serving in a position listed below, may receive remuneration from any other city board, commission or authority of the City of Bridgeport, including the Board of Education, in the form of wages, fee or other emoluments, without express prior approval by the City Council. The exception to this section is for a legally awarded pension from the City of Bridgeport or any of the boards, commissions or authorities, including the Board of Education.
See the complete list of the proposed salary structure here.
*** You left out all the funded vacant positions not covered by this code of ordinance, no? Under “hidden pots of gold” section. *** Concessions Anyone? ***
Pay raises for these positios average between $9,000 up to $13,000.Amazing!!The little people that really keep this city going have given up a ton of benefits. taken furloughs and done more with less and these other connected lazy bastards are goingto gouge the city for bug dollars.
Where the hell are the union leaders on this outrage? Oh yeah there in the administrations pocket.
I will bet anyone that the council will go along with these raises.Now I know why the B&A committee allowed for unfilled positions to be put in the budget Shame on every sitting member of this committee and double sham on the entire council except for Andre baker for allowibng this raping of city tax money to reward these fat cats.
Many bloggers think other people’s salaries is a petty subject when compared to their own. Gossip is of little concern to this crowd. But Bridgeport CT USA is always on-topic, especially when it comes to the arts.
http://www.zvents.com/z/bridgeport_ct/theater_arts
Among many in the Finch administration, it would appear that the Eighth Commandment is no longer of any meaning or moral behavior. And stealing, especially from Bridgeport taxpayers, is now standard operating procedure.
It is inconsequential to finch/ wood of the enormity of their actions.
At best over a million dollars and more … with “take home” vehicles made part of the r***, pillage and plundering of Bridgeport.
This is why there is no longer a CitiStat Department in the City that addresses this kind fraud, abuse and corruption. What we have now at CitiStat is no more than an answering service, if truth be told.
Whether Finch/Wood choose the cover of an ordinance or whether they choose the cover of some other deceptively worded document during this second term of the Finch/Wood administration, they can thank those 5,000+ voters from 9-27-2011 for their help with this unadulterated robbery that is now underway.
Eighth Commandment … Thou shalt not steal.
carolanne curry represents the voice of delayed defeat. Just because “the package” lost the primary doesn’t mean The Mayor is guilty of an Eighth Commandment infraction. All those so-called sins you mentioned were authorized by the Bridgeport City Council, in some cases before Finch’s arrival. You had a chance to “steal” the primary but results overshadowed your weak excuse.
People should receive fair and reasonable compensation for their work effort. The work effort should demonstrate quality over a time period as short as a day for some work (filling a pothole that stays filled) or over a longer period (economic development measured with clear metrics that show real economic gain for a City beyond subsidies or investments).
And the compensation should fit the institution. And fitness and fairness will be in the eyes of employees but also in the eyes of the taxpayers who do not necessarily see a “real world” connection with accomplishments of the Finch team.
Winning an election on the mantra of no increase in taxes and the call of “200 jobs cut” plus bragging about union concessions must smart for current union employees who supposedly negotiated and settled recently. Where is the consultant report on staffing that would call for the several Mayoral initiatives in the first week of “My Second Act?” And which committee is most appropriate for such material with significant financial implications? Perhaps Miscellaneous Matters might have been equally equipped to field this administration action?
Is this affordable by the City within the current budget? It is a question worth asking. And I will guess it is affordable, BUT ONLY BECAUSE THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET WAS APPROVED WITH THE ANNUAL PADDING OF OVER 60 UNFILLED POSITIONS WITH SALARY AND BENEFITS EXCEEDING $4.5 Million!!! Those ghost positions (and other ghost accounts within the budget) approved by B & A and then the Council itself, provide the muscle to fund Mayoral proposals that were not shown before the election and that are not shown after the City of Bridgeport external audit of 2011 (in January 2012) or after the next City budget is proposed!!!
Perhaps the City Council will refuse to fund ghost positions next year? Refuse to authorize ghost accounts next year? Look closely at the audit to see what happened in 2011? And begin to be a watchdog and public oversight? Time will tell.
The most successful people in America do huge amounts of unpaid labor. It’s called drafting, thrashing, spec, or competitive bids. It doesn’t always work. Failure comes before success arrives.
However, you sound more and more like a card-carrying, price-fixing, subsidized socialist. Time will tell for those who wait. Others behave differently.
(wink)
Warning: Very Bad News!
To save the economy: On December 30, 2011, the Finch administration has ordered the city departments to start deporting retired people instead of illegals in order to lower Social Security and Medicare costs and Pension Plan A.
We are easier to catch, and will not remember how to get back home!
I’ll see you on the bus. I wonder where we’re going.
BEACON2, all Mayor Finch has to say is this is what I want and those department heads will act on his demand and the leadership of the City’s union will run and hide and say nothing. The City Council members will say nothing, do nothing because of their City job (or family member) and because they don’t want Mario Testa to find a candidate to primary them. So BEACON2, who’s going to take the weight?
I’m driving that bus and I will keep its destination a secret until our arrival.
We’re All Bozos On This Bus.
City staff raises of 15 per cent this year? When is the approval meeting?
Total city budget is $491,876,896 and most of that, 39%, is for “Personnel Services” so worthy of looking into. Someone showed me list of all salaries for city employees recently, but can’t find it online anywhere. I think the former BOE chief was highest.
The city Budget Summary 2012 shows there have been cuts of over 192 direct service positions and cost reductions. But will taxes remain the same and 39.64 mil rate?
Bridgeport Now // Dec 8, 2011 at 2:00 pm
To your posting
Bridgeport Now,
The answer is … No.
Bridgeport Now,
Happy to see you are reading the “propaganda” published by the City. When you reference the City Budget Summary 2012 and 192 direct service cuts, you might ask, what positions were they actually, and in what year, and what was the actual cost savings??? Now track that through succeeding years (in the past four) and look at the positions that have been added with their costs and in what departments??? What is the net of the goings and the comings??? What is the net effect???
And you need to see the big picture with the detail because it is OK to trust, but you must verify as well.
As we write today, a former US Senator was called before Congress to explain what happened to his business empire, the MF Fund. It failed its investors, its employees, and anyone else with expectations it would profitably operate. More importantly Senator Corzine had to tell his former peers he had no idea what happened to $1.2 Billion that is as yet unaccounted for. Make you wonder what the functioning presence of a staff of internal auditors might turn up? So, you can trust, but you must verify, as well. Time will tell.
Ron Mackey, I don’t fully take your meaning about taking the weight? The weight of financial payments ultimately falls upon the citizens who own property and if we must cut programs and services and people further then the weight will fall on people who get those services to a greater rather than lesser extent. So an increase in taxes sufficient to awaken the public or a further decrease in services of significance may find those not favored specifically by the DTC to find common cause. Time will tell.
The total amount of these raises amounts to $868,000. You can bet those self-serving, no balls members of the council will pass this measure. The members of the council could give a shit less about the lower-tiered employees who sacrificed so much in givebacks. People in this city should also know the council does not give a shit about them either.
There WILL BE a LARGE TAX increase this year as it’s the first year of Finch’s new term and politicians know the electorate has a short memory.
BEACON2, my reference to “weight” was about a song by Kool & The Gang–“Who’s Gonna Take The Weight” 1970.
People, the world today is in a very difficult situation
And we all know it because we’re the ones who created it
We’re gonna have to be the ones to clean it up
We’re gonna have to learn to live together and love each other
Because I believe one day someone or something
Is gonna wanna judge who’s creating
All this corruption and death and pollution
And all these difficult situations on earth
And He’s gonna wanna know
Who’s gonna take the weight
Who’s gonna take the weight
I don’t know, I don’t know
Who’s gonna take the weight
Who’s gonna take the weight
Who’s gonna take the weight
www .youtube.com/watch?v=zcL69Uo5e_w
You R 2 Kool, Mr. Mackey.
I prefer The Weight by The Band
I picked up my bag, I went lookin’ for a place to hide;
When I saw Woody and the Devil walkin’ side by side.
I said, “Hey, Woody, come on, let’s go downtown.”
He said, “I gotta go, but m’friend can stick around.”
Take a load off Anny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Anny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.
Where is the outrage?
The mayor is asking the council to give him permission to raise salaries up to 15% and there is no anger on this blog.
There is no rage. There is no furor. There is no fury. Maybe there’s just a little irritation.
Folks, this is the mayor dropping the gauntlet. Let him get away with this and it will only get worse.
People should be committing to call and e-mailing the mayor’s office and their council members. People should be signing up to speak before the council. If there was any lesson to be learned from this past election it is you cannot expect to wake sleeping dogs every four years and expect them to bark. This must become a constant and ongoing process or else you are already paving the way for his next reelection.
Bob Walsh // Dec 8, 2011 at 5:19 pm
To your posting
Bob,
There is fury and rage …
BEACON2 is NOT sitting on his hands …
I’ll bet Ron Mackey is ready to roll …
town committee is not on a walk in the park about this …
And I for sure am not in some giddy glee.
What’s our action?
Let’s get the city council telephone numbers up here tomorrow. By the way, several are not current, but we can get what we can get.
Get the Mayor’s home number and get Adam Wood’s home number.
Find out from the NRZ leaders if they will meet with us to make our message clear.
If the clear message about how much the Finch/Wood administration is stealing from every taxpayer in Bridgeport gets out to the churches and the neighborhoods; there may be a way to stop this corrupt behavior.
The dollar amount is $864,046.000 PLUS the take-home vehicle costs. And we’re not yet even out of 2011.
Come on Bob, it’s got to be organized …
You can call me at 203-915-4924 if you or any other OIB’er wants to see this ordinance defeated.
This administration is a joke and goes out of its way to prove it.
1) Ruben Felipe is described as the mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff and is getting a raise from $71,000 to $90,000.
Is this within the 15% discretion that the mayor is seeking? I don’t know. I cannot find the position of Deputy Chief of Staff in the ordinance.
2) Councilman Curwen is quoted in an article as saying the council was not given advance notice and prior mayors went to the council and got verbal support.
Bobby read the ordinance in question. The Mayor MUST provide 30 days prior written notification prior to giving ANYONE covered by this ordinance a raise even if it is within the established brackets. So sorry Ruben, no raise at all for at least 30 days.
3) The mayor is hiring a Special Projects Manager at $60,000 a year. The current ordinance says she can only make $57,600. Sorry Erin, the mayor is asking for a give-back already.
We are seeing Finch–ACT II SCENE I
What if the Ordinance Committee considered the ordinance, as they should? Taking the necessary time over several months and questioned the financial implications of such an Ordinance? Send it to the Budget and Appropriations Committee for their counsel? Send it to the City Attorney office (or has it been there already prepared–kind of special treatment for the Mayor other submitters don’t get from Mark Anastasi) for 4-5 months of review, because the City Attorney’s office is so busy? And then scheduled a Public Hearing that is one of the things the Ordinance Committee does on occasion? That would be a meeting the public could come out to and address the Ordinance Committee on. What would be their ultimate action at that time?
Thanks to Grin and Ron for the ‘loaded’ and ‘weighty’ lyrics above. I will be singing Handel’s Messiah with the Mendelssohn Choir at three performances with the Bridgeport Symphony in the next nine days. The appropriate lyrics from scripture declare “the yoke is heavy, but the burthen is light.” Tax payments of Bridgeport real estate are plain heavy!
Did anyone see in the listing “Assistant internal auditor?” Does that mean there currently may be a functioning Internal Auditor (and staff) at any location of City Hall? In whose department? Or does a sham continue?
And Bob, what say you about the Silence of the Media on all of this? An article by Keila every couple weeks or so does keep the pot simmering, but the Post has not taken any gloves off on this issue the way they did in earning the awards with Mike Mayko and Sexual Abuse of Youth in Haiti article.
The CT Post earns tens of thousands from the City budget annually for publication services. I would hope this does not constitute a real conflict of interest. However, the longer they allow the City to operate ignoring City Charter language, sidestepping administration fiscal statements published annually regarding accounting process and internal controls, and fail to share focused comments from the external auditor (addressed to Audit Committee or Board of Finance as Blum Shapiro has done in recent years not understanding we have no such bodies in the City), the more there is an appearance of such a conflict. What facts do we have to state to get serious attention from the media, Lennie?
In Finch Act I the Mayor kicked the big numbers down the road for another day with permission of the State and the ignorance of our check and balance system. In Finch Act II he may be showing us stealth and secrecy are no longer necessary. As conflict builds will there be a humorous interlude featuring clowns before the ultimate crowd scene with the tragic downfall of the wounded leader? What do you see happening in this theater of the really absurd? Time will tell.
5% of the voters have spoken.
What does 5% mean in real numbers, Bob?
Sorry Carol … I meant 10.5% of the voters have spoken. There are about 80,000 registered voters in Bridgeport. About 8500 or about 10.5% voted for Finch. 5% voted for Torres and about 1% voted for Kohut. That meant 84% of Bridgeport’s electorate got what they deserved.
*** GROUNDHOG DAY IN ZOMBIELAND MARATHON! ***