Mary-Jane Foster, an exploratory candidate for mayor, says Mayor Bill Finch is so desperate for revenues in an election year he’s placed a for sale sign in front of City Hall. Ah, yes, the city’s for sale. From Foster:
The Finch administration has served up another ill-conceived, ill-timed and thoughtless proposal. Why suddenly throw City Hall and the City Hall Annex on the market with a request for proposals that are unrealistic and make no sense? A sale and lease back only makes sense if the result generates revenue from the sale and increases tax revenues for the city.
Where does this proposal fit in the earlier discussions of consolidating municipal office space and disposing of no longer necessary city-owned buildings? Consolidation would decrease expenses and the sale of unused buildings would drive some economic development opportunities. Here in Year 4 of the Finch administration, there is still no vision, no plan and no execution of these long ago identified opportunities.
What happened to the mayor’s promise to forego one-time revenues to plug the budget holes? That promise must be packed away with the promise to give everyone in Bridgeport a $600 tax refund.
The lack of coherence suggests desperation for revenue. With a budget deficit that moves with each day, unfunded pension liabilities and a Rainy Day Fund that is essentially at zero, perhaps this is a Hail Mary to try to bridge a gap that the administration doesn’t have the skill or stomach to deal with realistically. Some transparency or open communication about just how bad the situation is and what the options are would be helpful but are highly unlikely given this administration’s track record of secrecy.
Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the RPF revealed that tours for interested developers will be led by Art Harris, a City employee who took a medical leave to have knee replacements. In Harris’ absence, City Councilman Robert Curwen was hired as a ‘temporary’ City employee. Where is Robert Curwen now? Still working for the City? What happened to the hiring freeze? ‘Guess that’s only for individuals who aren’t the mayor’s buddies.
If I was in his administration it would have been a humiliating experiencing. Things always worki themselves out. Mary Moran really loved this City and it was a shame she only got 2 years. Which brings us to the next election after 4 years. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
Mary Moran was truly a very honest and sincere Individual- I became a republican for 2 years to support her effort. Timing and a bad ecconomy and a city that didn’t understand the concept of reorganization did her in. So we got 12 years of Ganim. Was sorry to leave the city under his reign but. But thank G-d. I could never live with myself. If I was in his administra
Mary Moran is still working.She’s the tax collector in Trumbull.She was the last mayor that told the truth,and they buried her for it
I want to hear more from a few candidates. Gomes, Auerbach Post , Caruso and Finch. But, I am begining to watch This Mary-Jane Foster.The 2nd Woman in Bridgeport’s History to be Mayor. Whatever Happened to Mary Moran? She was a very charismatic woman.
I REMEMBER THAT PROMISE OF A TAX REFUND OF 600.00 DO NOT RECALL RECEIEVING IT. Mary-Jane FOSTER IS THE ONE TO WATCH.
I personally think we need to put more pressure and responsibility on our state delegation than the mayor. There are several multi-million dollar capital improvement projects in New Haven and Hartford and other little towns, but we get scraps because of limited political clout with our delegates.
Everyone in Bpt seems to argue about how the mayor spends two nickles yet no one questions why the state doesn’t fund the city proportionately. If anything P.I.L.O.T. is a joke and our “neighbors” should pay a high portion for Bpt to house the jails, courts, etc…
If the Republicans ran someone that could win I would too!I voted for Rick Torres a few yrs back,and I wish he would run again.Given enough exposure,I think he could win.I’m a lifetime Dem and I am disgusted with Ganim,Fabrizi,Newton,and Finch.We need a change
My problem is that instead of writing about what she would do…This response, this “blog” only puts down the mayors ACTIONS. We need less blah blah blah criticism and more hands on action from armchair politicians.
Then she adds more insults by jabbing at two people with lifelong ties to the city. It’s like me walking into Grimaldi’s office talking about how bad he blogs and how I could blog better.
This woman is not qualified and I would vote for a republican before voting for her.
No vision, no plan, and no skill to execute even if they did have them. Mary-Jane cuts through the Finch poop and gets straight to the point…this administraton is all a bunch of soundbytes with no byte behind them! Bridgeport…we can do so much better than this. I sincerely hope Foster decides to run for Mayor…our city needs someone like her…someone with intelligence AND know-how to get this city moving.
If they sell City Hall Annex, do the current Mayor and his cronies get thrown in as part of the deal with the window treatments?
I thought City Hall had been for sale for the past 40 years, since the Tedesco years. Maybe this makes it official (sic, “The King’s Speech” comment by Geoffrey Rush).
In 4 yrs the Finch plan has sunk this city worst than ever. lot’s of promises and nothing done. we need a change badly. i like where she is heading. you got my vote.
Really, a for sale sign in front of City Hall??? (shaking my head)
That $600.00 has been stamped and returned to the taxpayers “NSF”. Non-Sufficient-Finch!
She has my vote!
Well said Ms. Foster. She definately has my vote if she continues the ways she does. She seems very intelligent and sounds like she has integrity which is needed in this day and time. Ms. Foster truly hit the nail on the head b/c the decision making process for this entire administration is sorry to say, a joke and slowly but noticeably falling apart at the seams for the world to see. Its like this mayor does not have the “know how” to run the largest city in Connecticut or for any city for that matter.
I like her ! She cuts right through the BS that Finch has be slinging since day one.I’ll vote for her,,,,