It was just a matter of time before disagreement between two spirited members of the City Council spilled out to an email wave flooding the inboxes of numerous elected and city officials.
It started with this, an agenda update for Thursday’s special meeting of the City Council’s Miscellaneous Matters Committee, co-chaired by Aidee Nieves and Maria Pereira, two members of the legislative body butting heads for years.
The committee’s key roles include vetting the mayor’s appointments to boards and commissions and approving members to the Citizen’s Union Committee, an advisory board that recommends where federal dollars should be spent on needy community organizations.
Nieves had served as council president for many years until she was defeated recently by North End Councilwoman Jeanette Herron. Pereira supported Herron. Maybe in a moment of mischievousness, the new leader appointed them as co-chairs.
Nieves and Pereira are fencing over moving along city business versus reaching common ground on what should be placed on the committee agenda.
Pereira demands co-chair total agreement on what should be on the agenda. What if they don’t agree? Nieves has also been critical of the demands Pereira places on City Clerk staff that produces the council agenda and paperwork for the legislative body.
Nieves issued this email to Pereira (many city officials including council members copied)
I emailed to add the items due to the essence of time .
Council President did state that city business should not be halted due to personal Opinion or perspective.You are not the unilateral boss.
Since becoming chair you have been overly aggressive acting as if you run the commissions and all.You have shown no courtesy to those that do the work everyday as noted in your tone.
Pereira’s response:
I will be visiting the City Clerk’s office tomorrow, in person to address the significant violations of the City Clerk staff.
You yourself wrote the City Council President had no authority over committee agendas and she responded in writing that only the “Co-chairs” set the agendas for their respective committees.
Then the minute Herron writes some nonsensical dribble, you took it upon yourself to direct Althea to add two items to the agenda I oppose. You have ZERO authority over me as co-chair and I have ZERO authority over you. We MUST agree on the proposed agenda items as “Co-chairs,” or the item is NOT placed on the agenda. Period.
As you are well aware, there is NO state statute, City Charter provision, ordinance or City Council Rule that gives a City Council President the authority to approve or disapprove any committee items on an agenda.
As an individual who reeked of alcohol who was caught on video physically and sexually assaulting me in City Hall on election night; you are not in any position to point your stubby finger at anyone else for aggressive behavior. Right, those that stand up for the rule of law and right from wrong are the aggressors, not those breaking the City Council Rules. I am standing up for the City Council Rules I have NEVER voted for, the very rules you have voted for each of the 7 years they have been presented to the City Council.
Let us all be clear that Deputy Citt Clerk Francis Ortiz is your first cousin and has a significant conflict of interest in this matter.
The City Council President NEVER stated in her email that the two items were to be added to the Miscellaneous Matters Agenda. In fact, she had specifically stated in writing that the committee agendas are only set by the co-chairs. You specifically wrote previous to her statement that the City Council President plays no role in setting committee agendas.
I will be down there personally tomorrow to address this significant violation of the City Council Rules committed by you and the City Clerk’s office with the documentation to support every assertion I have made. We know neither you or the City Clerk’s office will be able to do the same.
Councilwoman & Co-chair Misc. Matters
East End Councilwoman Eneida Martinez weighed in:
Frances (Assistant Town Clerk Frances Ortiz), you need to file an immediate complaint regarding the constant verbal abuse yourself and your staff receive from council members. This is totally unacceptable. You may want to file a police report, this sounds like a threat to me, the mere fact that Councilwoman Maria Pereira is stating that she will be in your office tomorrow morning. This is intimidation and a level of harassment. I will also mention a CHRO/Union Complaint be filed immediately.
Mayor, you need to address this matter. Your staff should be protected by all means.
The staff doesn’t work for the council, they should not be subjected to disrespect.As far as what happened with Aidee Nieves and yourself (Maria) this is not a relevant topic to this matter at hand. This has nothing to do with the subject matter. This is very childish and unprofessionally immature. This issue was disposed of two month ago for unsubstantiated evidence/probable cause. So, why are you even addressing this on this email?
The City of Bridgeport has many employees, politicians, leaders, commissioners, etc that are related. Why is this an issue? Frances has been a loyal, trustworthy, professional assistant city clerk for almost twenty years, serving the means of the entire city with integrity. The fact that you feel that you can diminish her professionalism because you are an elected official is distasteful and disgusting. Especially, because you are always attempting to carry yourself as a person with so much couth.
No department head or staff should be subjected to any threats by any council members. Maria P you should read the new charter. It did go into effect January 1, 2026.
This is an ethic violation according to the new voted charter by a YES VOTE = question # 1 with over 4,500 votes & question # 2 with almost 3,000 votes.
Andy, you need to send this matter to ethics for immediate attention and ACTION….
In ending this email, I am very well aware that this is a FOIA violation by the amount of individuals you have attached to this email Councilwoman Maria Pereira. Good night Maria P. We have some new bugs out, they are called the snow fleas. Don’t let them climb through your window.
Pereira fired back:
Councilwoman Martinez,
There is someone engaged in unprofessional, unhinged, childish, and manic behavior who repeatedly utilizes foul language in their city email communications.
May I suggest you look in the mirror?
The sole purpose of the City Clerk’s office in the City Charter is to serve the City Council, all 20 members of the City Council, not one or two or a deputy city clerk’s relative.
May I remind you that you are not a member of the Miscellaneous Matters Committee?
Silence from you would be a blessing.
Have a restful early morning.
Maria Pereira
Martinez rejoindered:
Maria Pereira the mere fact that you are of Caucasian descent makes you entitled. You look in the mirror. There is absolutely no manic, unprofessional, unhinged or childish behavior over here. You are one vote. You do not own this city. When things don’t go your way you blow a head gasket. Respect those in power. Jeanette Herron is the council president. Who do you think you are to think that you can address and make threats??????????
The council president is not going along with your desires so you think you can make threats and attack people. I will always speak up whether you or anyone else likes it. What are you going to do about it? It is my amendment right!!!! Are you not the biggest advocate on amendment violations???? HELLO!!!!!
By the way the 138th doesn’t belong to you. Keyla Medina did have more votes than you on the machines, just as all your other partners. Perhaps stop doing AB’s, I can guarantee you that you will not win that 138th district.
I do not have to serve on the miscellaneous committee, I Eneida Martinez AM AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND A VOTER. You cannot pass items with your one vote.
I don’t need to silence under any circumstances. I fear you nor anyone else. My life is an open book, share what you have. Let’s battle challenges. Let me know when you are ready. YOU WILL NEVER SHUT ENEIDA MARTINEZ UP!!!!
SIGN, SEAL AND DELIVERED!!!!
you know who is the blame for all this?????
THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT WHO KEEP VOTING FOR ALL THESE CLOWNS !!! THEY ARE TRULY THE IDIOTS
Coach T, while you are assessing “all this” and blaming those who vote for what you indicate is clownish behavior, why do you not look at the adults who can be registered to vote in each election, of the 150,000 folks in the City who have neglected to be well informed on issues and candidates and follow a different path into ignorance, apathy, and outcomes for the residents of Bridgeport less favorable to them for energy supply and expense, for rental housing that is affordable, for Boards and Commissions, as we have had during the last 25 years that were present, but died in plain sight from lack of providing a very public avenue to public service, education for public service, and regular reporting of work product for each volunteer body.
There should be no interruption of Board or Commission work because of term expiry or vacancies on critical housing oversight and the City Council is aware of the Charter, Ordinances, and other ‘operating procedures’ to be followed Where is their upset? Outrage? Where is their intent to represent all of the people of the City, for the purpose of the broader ‘common good’? When will they work together rather than become upset and personalize conflict? Do they understand that getting called before the law is not a role for a legistlator? Surely there is actionable behavior that is their responsibility to monitor and report? Time will tell.
The people tend to vote for a familiar name , not for the right people who can truly help. the constant bickering , fighting among the Board of Commission, the City Council. Man it’s a joke. Yet even though maybe some of them truly want to help, you will always have the few that think it’s their way,not a committee”s way. Like sports, there isnt an i in team. You have to be able to come together like a sports team to get things done
Now these are the good times that I do miss!!😂😂
Matt, come back for the “good times.” The council needs an accountant! By the way, any advice on new tax laws?
Yet another episode in “The Lost and the Clueless”… This latest episode of Bridgeport government dysfunctionality may seem humorous, but it’s actually just one of many symptoms of a terminally ill city. It’s a miracle that Bridgeport is still allowed to exist as an autonomous municipality in Connecticut. In another, non-oligarchic state that didn’t function as a facilitator of regional municipal cannibalism, a city with a dysfunctional government and inadequate, stagnant tax base like Bridgeport would have become a ward of the state, or its charter rescinded and its geography and governance subsumed by healthy, surrounding municipalities long ago. This city is stagnating or moving in reverse in all of the important ways and needs to be handled much differently by the state. While there may seem to be bright spots in areas such as policing and education, even the recent semblances of progress experienced in these areas cannot be sustained in a city with a dysfunctional government and absolutely inadequate financial resources. The State of Connecticut must step in and either rescue this city with a viable plan and massive resources or put it out of its misery and legislate its subsumption by its surrounding municipalities… (Bridgeport’s situation should be one of the major issues in the current gubernatorial race.)
Nieves, Martinez, Herron, Pereira a Royal Rumble or just another flucking tag team steel cage match?
Welcome to Bridgeport!
EMBARRASSING. GET RID OF EVERYONE.
This was a brilliant move by Jeanette Herron putting these two strong personalities together. Instead of being everyone else’s problem they are each other’s problem. It may put some temporary ripples in the waters but if they don’t fix it themselves they will eventually both become outcasts. Let’s see what happens next.