A fight is brewing in City Hall for control of Civil Service, the testing system that falls outside mayoral discretionary appointment power.
Ralph Jacobs is the city’s personnel director overseeing Civil Service and some say he plays by the book. Mayor Bill Finch believes Jacobs plays by his own rules and wants him out. In order to do that Finch needs termination support from Civil Service commissioners.
Finch is trying to line up the votes to make that happen as city officials lobby a case to remove Jacobs for cause. Finch wants to put his own person in there something he can do on a provisional basis and then take his time ordering a test for a permanent replacement. This would guarantee the mayor more influence to fill positions.
Civil Service in Bridgeport was implemented in the mid 1930s by Socialist Mayor Jasper McLevy, a reformer who promised to break the political spoils system for hiring city employees. In the old days government was the bastion of political operatives and that led to abuses. The system, however, has its flaws in the flexibility of hire. For one thing, the prevailing rule of one.
The police chief and fire chief positions, through a charter change 20 years ago, gives the mayor the appointment power to choose from the top three finalists. Each can receive up to two five-year terms.
Bridgeport mayors in general have far fewer discretionary appointments than they had decades ago made more difficult during tough economic times to reward political supporters. A personnel director has some flexibility to work with a mayor in squeezing in provisional appointments. From what I’m hearing Jacobs is not inclined to play ball with the mayor. The city is being advised by labor law specialist Mike Devlin in how to proceed against Jacobs. Jacobs has hired former Mayor Tom Bucci, also an accomplished labor lawyer, to defend him.
And so it goes.
(check out my daily blog at www.onlyinbridgeport.com)
Is this the top priority for the City? How about focusing on reforming financial operations, facilitating development projects, seeking new revenues, creating a productive dialog with BOE and the community on behalf of Bridgeport’s children, and maybe some jobs…jobs…jobs…and support for small businesses???
It seems that the Mayor needs to be advised to put his energy toward getting results for residents instead of getting caught up in a games of cloak and dagger and who’s is bigger…
OLD FINK FINCH TRYING TO EXPAND HIS CONTROL OVER ALL BPT DECISSIONS…..SCUM BAG MOVE
It’s time for people to stand up for what is right. It would be a crime to give this mayor the power to pick and choose who goes where. He already has enough authority and he has proven to abuse that. Can you imagine what would happen if the power were to go in this mayor’s Hands???
This would really be an unjust move, all I can say is we have to pray for the best. Look at it this way, if the director of Civil Service really had been doing such a bad job and making up his own rules, would’nt his job be in jeopardy in the first place and his actions be up for review by the Civil Service Commission?
Yeah, but don’t give the mayor the discretionary ability to override civil(e) service. The will open the door to more cronyism and nepotism. It’s bad enough that 50% of the employees of Bridgeport are related to one another either by marriage or incest.
Once you have the unfortunate luck of conversing with Jacobs you realize Finch is right. Terminate his arrogant ass. Also, he has been making numerous mistakes with promotional lists and spends half his time in court because of this. Get someone who knows what they’re doing.
I can see clearly now,where before it was kind of cleary. I must be bleary-eyed, or teary-eyed, about Bridgeport.
Ed Munster, I mean Adams, is write on, and he can spell out what F.B.I. should mean but what it cleary doesn’t. For Bridgeport’s Integrity!
Good job Lenny. The people in the community need to know what goes on behind the closed doors of City Hall. I don’t know Ralph Jacobs however giving a mayor more discretionary power to make appoints is the last thing that city needs. If there is good cause to remove the personnel director that is another thing however the mayor should not have the ability to delay the testing for a permanent replacement while his provisional selection rewards political supporters. Some things never change.
Oh PLEASE get rid of Jacobs. Let department heads have some say in who works for them.
The putrid stench coming out of Bridgeport is overwhelming! I’m glad I moved out 38 years ago. I propose that the broken and rusted Congress St. bridge become a permanent monument to the festering decay and corruption of the City of Bridgeport!
With all this talk about Civil Service, or is it Civil Cervix, and Labor Lawyers. I think I need to call my doulah, Oblongata, for some help with Finch and his small fries.
OK Len…here we go again. Is Finch going to appoint Andy Nunn to Ralph’s position? That’ll give him 2 more jobs for which he’s eminently unqualified.
Not that Bill Finch is qualified to lead anything except for the double dipping, cronyism and nepotism. And inept fiscal management. And, where’s Tom McCarthy the City Council President/labor lawyer/Democratic Town Committee district leader on this one? I’ve never seen him stand for anything productive about Bridgeport.
Bill Finch doesn’t know how to “work and play well with others”. He lacks communicative skills, leadership skills, and basic common sense when it comes to the good and welfare of Bridgeport. He’s there because the primary was stolen from Chris Caruso by Stafstrom and his minions. And they had lots to lose should Chris have won the election.