For the better part of five years citizen fiscal watchdog John Marshall Lee has addressed the City Council during the public speaking portion of meetings barking questions regarding a reservoir of financial issues with generally few satisfactory answers. Lee’s been such a fixture that he’s decided to run for a council seat in Black Rock as a Democrat, and, in fact, issued his official announcement Monday night speaking before the council. Will Lee be victorious? As his closing mantra echoes, time will tell.
Members of the City Council, I want to thank you for helping me form one of the most important decisions of my life, the pursuit of a City Council seat in the 2015 election. You see I am a serious reader and also a close listener. Using those talents and a good amount of time during the past five years I have studied Bridgeport issues on paper through financial reports and the external audit. I have spoken in public, written letters to the CT Post and blog with others interested in Bridgeport affairs almost daily.
In recent years I have addressed the Council at these sessions and attended a good number of sub-committee meetings. My three major priorities for Bridgeport governance have been to encourage OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT process to benefit the City as a whole. Previously, I have stated that many of you handle constituent issues and problems very well, but how does the Council perform on matters facing the entire City?
Regarding OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT:
• Why has there been no response from one or more of current Council members who were part of the group of 15 in 2013 who illegally appropriated about $30,000 of taxpayer funds to make gifts to local charities and took personal credit for the gifts in a primary and election year? No meeting agenda, minutes or record of a vote as you listened to your President lead you on this path? Charitable gifts to good charities are yours to make with your own funds, not other people’s money. It’s a bad precedent for the City to let stand!!
• The City Charter calls for a meeting each year for the Capital budget, a meeting that is not held. Chapter 9, Section 6c says that “the city council shall solicit suggestions, comments and recommendations from city officials and the members of the public regarding the proposed capital budget and shall conduct at least one public hearing.” Why do you fail in this duty? Why do you pass a $40 Million capital budget with more than 30 requests on one piece of paper without addressing the plans and funding before the public? Does the public feel that it is participating as intended?
• Students in school? Do you know that in the budget fiscal year most recently audited (2013-14), our municipal contribution, that is the amount from local taxpayers in contrast to Federal and State funds for Public Education was $56, 872,000, which when spread among 21,008 youth comes to $2750 per student? By contrast did you know that New Haven and Hartford local taxpayers provide over $4500 per each student in their city? Why is this contrast not publicly revealed here in the City? Are Council members supporting public education? If so, why is this gap present? Can City budget efficiencies find necessary money for the BOE?
• And as I shared two weeks ago, there are 13 City Departments that show a line item 06 that covers Other Financing Uses. Can anyone explain how this number has ‘silently’ increased over three years from $66,862,919 to over $79 Million?
Where and when does your Council dig into numbers brought to you by the City Departments? Why aren’t more reports provided to the public on the City site? Where is the necessary staffing to assist you as in other municipalities? The funding is present in your budget. What holds you back from using it and becoming much better?
I have more questions you know. But I have decided to seek the answers by running for office and winning a seat on the other side of this rail. If I am successful I will have more than five minutes twice per month to make a request and find answers. I have been a Watchdog and shall continue to be vigilant, perhaps barking occasionally, and rarely growling, on behalf of all the people. I can think of no higher calling for a taxpayer citizen than as one person with one voice and two ears, to encourage “best practices” in the City of Bridgeport. What will happen? Time will tell.
Good luck, JML. Whose slate are you running on?
Thank you for your conflict-free, steadfast research and concise communications for the greater good in our city, JML.
Thank you too, once again, for unlocking new information.
I was not aware of the miserly contribution we make to our public-school students here, when compared to Hartford and New Haven’s:
About $2,700 per student here compared to over $4,500 per student by those cities.
That means that Bridgeport’s annual municipal contribution falls short by at least $37.8 million annually (i.e., take the $1,800 difference between avg. per student for Hartford and New Haven contribution and Bridgeport’s … multiply by 21,000 students … = $37,800,000). Let alone the fact the state contributes substantially more money per student to those cities than to Bridgeport.
How can this go on?
How can any of what you’ve been highlighting–here and in no uncertain terms to the City Council itself–go on?
GODSPEED, JML! You will be a much-needed asset to the council.
Good luck JML, you and Rick will make a formidable pair.
1000% on your side!
We need more like JML to break the status quo!
Good luck JML, you’d be a tremendous asset to this council.
Great idea, let him be the start of the Journey to Bridgeport’s trek into Open, Honest and Transparent Government!!!
Ratchet it up, John. Good Luck!
JML, I’m not wishing luck, your victory will come from the hard work you do and your honest concern about getting answers and providing that information to the voters. The only issue I have had with you in the past was I wanted you to go outside of Black Rock and to bring in the entire 130th district especially PT Barnum to hear their issues and concerns. They will vote for you if you listen and ask for their vote. I’m glad you are running as a Democrat only because that’s the only game in town.
It’s our luck you’re running, and it’s good luck. I hope you win.
Good luck, John!
Way to go, JML! Always trying to outdo Jennifer, I’m with you 1001%.
Rob Sullivan, do you plan on running for office in the future?
Jen, you hit the nail right on the head! You have my support, JML!
Good luck John, you worked hard.
Announcing his candidacy before the City Council is JML’s latest step into the spotlight. He has plenty of conviction and the kind of personality that matches his district. Expect liftoff velocity and a noisy campaign.
One million, trillion, ka-zillion % behind you, JML! Godspeed!
Good luck, John. You will bring the key to open, honest government to the Council when you are elected.
Council meetings will get longer, louder and more interesting. The agenda won’t be fast-tracked auction-style, as it has been for the last 20 years. And the frequent, secret caucuses will become less frequent and less secret.
I look forward to watching you in action on your first day on the Council!
Jennifer,
Nothing more to say, and to all you here at OIB, whatever opinions held, a salute to Len Grimaldi and “Only In BRIDGEPORT” for what he and the blog mean to the free and independent exchange of important info at present!!!
Question to John Marshall Lee: “Can you imagine Bridgeport’s governance process and operation any worse than it exists today?”
Answer from JML: “Sure can. Just imagine what would be happening in the City if Only In Bridgeport were not in operation and residents had to depend on media coverage from CT Post, Channel 12, WICC, etc.?” Pretty desperate thought? Time will tell.
This is shaping up to be the most important summer in Bridgeport politics in a long, long time.
Go get ’em, JML.