Talk to folks who’ve encountered Bill O’Brien, Bridgeport’s former tax assessor now catching heat in New Haven, and it’s like fighting the bastard child of Freddy Krueger and Darth Vader.
Our friends at the New Haven Independent are chronicling the steady stream of complaints about the public servant who so many in Bridgeport claim took a lot of latitude assessing property that impacted tax payments. And he wasn’t exactly Mr. Rogers in the customer service area.
City Councilman James Holloway, the longest serving member of Bridgeport’s legislative body, was surprised to hear O’Brien had landed on his feet in New Haven. “Why did they take O’Brien back?” queried Holloway. “He came from New Haven. He’s very disrespectful.”
Holloway, the city’s supervisor of permits and inspections, had a run-in several years ago with O’Brien. Holloway had reason to review documents in the assessor’s office during the course of his city enforcement work. O’Brien had a territorial streak about access to public documents.
“Get out of my office!” he shouted at Holloway.
“I’m just doing my job!” Holloway fired back.
Holloway says O’Brien grabbed him.
“Get your hands off of me,” snapped Holloway who isn’t prone to backing away from a fight.
“I’ll call the police,” O’Brien threatened.
Holloway stormed out. Apparently lots of folks stormed out of O’Brien’s office. Three city employees confirmed Holloway’s account of things. O’Brien had a history of threatening to call the cops when customers searched for the most basic information or took exception to his assessments. Horror stories from non-profits, mom and pop store owners and clergy were commonplace. The position of tax assessor carries a five-year appointment. O’Brien’s customer service reputation placed his reappointment, scheduled in 2009, in jeopardy. Two years ago he left Bridgeport for New Haven where he had previously worked.
On the technical side, those who know O’Brien say he was very good at searching out new revenue sources. But, they add, he was a public-relations nightmare. He pushed too hard, broke lots of bones and picked on little people. Many folks in city hall are happy O’Brien is now New Haven’s problem.
Check these links from the New Haven Independent:
www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/tax_assessor_taxed_and_/
www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/alders_grill_city_tax_officials/
www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/assessor_keep_your_car_records/
