The City Council Monday night modified some of the proposed changes advanced by the Charter Revision Commission for voter approval in November focused heavily on a beefed up Ethics Commission and clarification on protected municipal positions and those discretionary mayoral appointments.
The council will make a final vote the first meeting in September on whether to advance the proposed charter changes to electors.
Public speaking portion
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Here are the printed words of my public speaking last evening to the Council. Despite changes in the audio and visual equipment in the Council auditorium, the sounds are muffled or at least difficult to hear continuously while sitting in the audience (or perhaps when recorded). August 4, 2025
CC Comments – An Election – Charter Question – Citizen Voting
There is a sickness upon the people of Bridgeport. You know about it but do not regularly attend to them, perhaps because you sit as a practitioner of the art of politics, not governance. This removes you from your neighbors. You are the elect, a small number of residents important to City affairs. Elected for the most part as Democratic endorsed candidates, a party without policy or as I discovered as a Charter Review Commissioner recently, 20 fellow citizens who show no current purpose in this Charter.
Some of you have been seeking longer terms and compensation but reject any change in the number and responsibility for District representation or At-Large duties. And while both the Charter Commission in its three months of concentrated work, with results producing a step towards balancing the executive and legislative municipal functions, the real effort was spent on Ethics reform, and Civil Service restatement in bringing the Charter up to date, more organized, and simpler to read.
I have spent much time seeking to understand the extent of housing issues in the City spending some time with the thousands of citizens who depend on HUD support for a residence, Social Security a right earned for income in retirement and Medicaid assistance for healthcare plans. Helping these citizens become self-governing community voices is my objective just as we have ‘neighborhood watch’ available to other residents. Where is the Bridgeport Housing Authority, pursuing a bond for $50 Million with no project presented to you? Where is the Fair Housing Commission, an ordinance you set in motion after 20 years of being ignored by Mayors? Where is the “Housing and Economic Development Commission” that the Council was to provide in the current Charter (Chapter 18, Sec 4 (b)? How did you serve owners in Success Village?
Please knock on constituent doors this year to double District votes on Election Day, from 10% to 20% by casual conversations. Include the Charter purpose you will pursue. ASK them to VOTE. Time will tell.