Former City Councilman Bob “Troll” Walsh has been sharpening his teeth the past few days in letters to his old mates. Does the “Troll” miss the council action? The latest letter urges his City Council representatives Evette Brantley and John Olson who replaced Walsh when he decided to retire in 2011 to pull back “questionable” contracts recently approved for the police and fire chiefs. Walsh’s letter:
I am writing my City Council representatives requesting that one of them make a motion to reconsider the recently approved contracts for the Police Chief and Fire Chief. And that the other one second the motion.
I have to assume that neither of you were aware of many of the facts that I have learned since the contracts were approved because if you had been I do not believe that you would have approved such questionable deals.
One report that I read said that the Fire Chief will be making in excess of a quarter of a million dollars a year between his salary and pension; all paid by the taxpayers of the city of Bridgeport. And this does not include benefits. This is obscene and outrageous in a city that claims to have such severe financial difficulties that it could not increase its funding for education for the past 4 years.
But first and foremost the council must reconsider the matter at the first meeting immediately following the meeting in which the item was approved. Do not buy into anyone suggesting that this would not apply to labor or personnel contracts. Robert’s Rules Of Order does not recognize such exceptions and therefore the motion would be in order. All that you need to do at the present time is to refer the matter back to the contracts committee.
Among the troubling facts are:
1) At a minimum the Fire Chief has requested retirement and I believe he has done so as a disability pension. I have been told by several retired firefighters that when they first applied for a disability pension they were told that they needed to submit medical proof of the disability. I believe that Chief Rooney was not required to do so because his is a technicality. Technicalities lead to lawsuits and the city of Bridgeport can ill afford any more of these. The council should be provided a formal written legal opinion from outside legal counsel clearly addressing this matter.
Among the questions are:
1) What are the consequences if the fire chief sustains additional disabling injuries or diseases while on the job having already been granted a pension?
2) Can the chief waive protections granted him under state workers compensation regulations?
3) What is the city’s liability as to having to pay out additional benefits to others who were denied this benefit now being extended to the chief?
4) What are the future consequences of granting a disability pension without proof of disabling injury or medical condition?
2) What is the cost to the taxpayers of this contract and the practice of collecting a pension early based on which pension plan the Police and Fire Chief are covered by?
3) The original contract provided to the Police Chief had a residency requirement included while the Fire Chief did not. The council decided to eliminate this language for the Police Chief. I urge my representatives to reinstate that language for the Police Chief and to insert the language for the Fire Chief.
I truly anticipate your motion to reconsider. If you decide not to do so then I would appreciate in writing an explanation as to why you refused to do so. I am copying the other council members so that one of them might take this action if the two of you do not.
Sincerely,
Robert S Walsh
Taxpayer 132nd District
56 Redding Pl
Bridgeport CT 06604
Bob Walsh,
Great questions, which require answers the City did not provide in the run-up to a Council vote. Perhaps your experience and knowledge of the broken system of governance in this City may produce more results from a listening citizenry than your words to fellow Council members. Outrage leading to courageous expression and the formation of a better-informed citizen taxpayer, who expects to be heard on serious matters, are early steps in a process to reform what is broken. And I would further submit that charter reform especially convened to provide greater power to an already unaccountable speeding train over more money, people, and resources, as is intended by Mayor Finch, will not fix what ails this City today. Whatever changes are proposed should require you to check you wallet and the value of your real estate in Bridgeport!!! Think about it. Speak up. Time will tell.
I can accept someone vesting in Bridgeport’s retirement system and then retiring. Upon retirement he or she can file for retirement benefits. Plain and simple. I get that. Even if the person then went to work for another municipality he or she could still receive the Bridgeport retirement benefit. I accept that. What I don’t understand is how the Council approved a contract that lets the chief file for retirement benefits while still working for Bridgeport. Then if it is a disability retirement benefit it may be a Pre-tax benefit. I recognize the importance of the police and fire chiefs but this double dipping doesn’t make sense … the math is all wrong.
countdown, what you have not included in this double dipping scheme is the city will pay 10% of the chief’s salary to a private pension company.
This pension group covers police and fire chiefs. At the end of their 10 years they can collect another pension. Add another $12K-plus to their salaries.
The fire chief enjoys favor because he rid the city of an employee all chiefs before failed to terminate. Labor Relations, City Attorney’s Office, none could do it, Rooney did. Unfortunately, in his verve to reach this goal, he neglected the very tenets of his job; make sure your men and women are safe. He was found to be lax when it came to numerous safety precautions basic to firefighting. The results were tragic. Now the city has to cover its ass … is all.
BARF, very true. In Rooney’s effort to get rid of one person he took out others to cover his tracks. BARF, what is sad about all this is the fact fire union local 834 sat on their hands and said nothing and did nothing as the department goes downhill.
Are you saying the lack of b-lls by the fire union is just as much to blame for the two firefighter deaths as Pig Rooney?
After the Pig is reappointed the fire union decides to complain about the fire communication center. Come on, it sounds like sour grapes and should have be done long before the Pig’s reappointment.
Proves the union leadership and its E-board are gutless wonders who eat and drink from the same trough. Talk about a paper tiger!
DonTito, the fire union leadership are intimidated by the mayor and Fire Chief Rooney. They saw and knew every poor decision that was being made in the fire department and they did nothing. I don’t know why they never said anything, were they scared they would get transferred, were they promised a position or promotion? I don’t know but there have been more fire deaths plus the fire death of two brother firefighters and the public never heard a word from the fire union.
*** This will never happen with this present city counci, Bob. *** DONE DEAL ***