FORMER MINORITY LEADER OF THE COMMON COUNCIL, LOUIS SALVIO, SPEAKS OUT ON THE MAYOR'S HIRING FREEZE WHICH WAS IGNORED AT THE VERY START AND THE USE OF PRIVATE EMAIL SITE FOR CITY BUSINESS.

It’s been about a month since the inauguration ceremony for the new Council and the Mayor. In that time, Mayor O’Brien has ordered a hiring freeze - one had been in place for years -an d then went ahead and hired: a new “communications director” (Sherwood), and pledged to hire 27 new police officers. A grant has come available that will pay the salaries of some of the police candidates while in the training academy. What NB taxpayers have not been told is that taxpayers will pick up the costs for the benefits package for all trainees while in the academy.

A three-member “Task Force” has been formed to audit the city’s budget. I’d like to know how you audit a budget! A Budget is just a line item document that, when approved by the Common Council, shows where each department will be allowed to spend funds. If the Task Force is going to be allowed to determine if departments are spending money “wisely”, then what is/was the purpose of having the Finance Board, the Mayor and the Council scrutinizing the departmental requests and then having the Council give final approval of the budget? The NB Charter specifies how a budget will be prepared, by whom it will be adjusted and then, finally approved. Nothing the task force does can usurp the Charter.

Also, tell me, why do the Mayor and his Communications Director have personal e-mail addresses and not city addresses, e.g., O’Brien’s is,mayor@timobrien.org? Aren’t these two using city computers? Is there a problem with “transparency” here? Watch closely folks!

Finally, as the titular head of the Democratic Party in New Britain, perhaps Mayor O'Brien can get the people elected with him to pay their taxes, namely, Alderman, Rahsheen Brown, Constable, Peter Spano, Constable, James Rathbun!





Lou Salvio