New Britain Common Council Members Apprised of the Surplus Budget Left by the Prior Administration.

Former Alderman Mark Bernacki addressed the Common Council during the council's public participation referring to the budget left by the prior administration of having a "surplus."

We asked Mayor Stewart some two years ago, to come up with a cut in the budget, which has several hundred thousands of line items, and we came up with a two and one half million dollars of reductions with the" workforce reduction". He continued by citing the mayor was up to this challenge and we not only cut two and one half million dollars but ended with a "two and half million dollars budget surplus".

"We accomplished this by cutting expenses."

There have been many public comments made that the budget that was left by the prior council was enormous when every budget was approved by the council membership { Under Democratic control) that those comments were disingenuous at the least.

in another issue regarding the Broad street raids, even I don't agree with the mayor on many things, but he is our mayor and he should have been alerted of this action by the state agency. In the past, the council membership have always been alerted to these actions by the state beforehand, so the mayor should have been contacted.

According to the newspapers accounts the police chief stated that he had been contacted by the state and they had informed him that they were just doing a walk through but instead they came through with a swat team," Board Street Merchants were Targeted." There should be an investigation as to why the mayor wasn't contacted? And why wasn't the council apprised also? I think this investigation should be made since thousands of dollars of inventory was scooped up just because they had polish labels on the items.

I buy print paper would that means if I purchase this stock from a polish supplier they could just come in and take my inventory of paper because of polish labeling? Remember these sales were being done in plain view to everyone and the state came and took thousands of dollars of inventory away even after state collected the sales taxes on this inventory.

The council should investigate this issue while remembering the council designated Broad Street as "Little Poland." The polish people do shop there and buy items that have polish labels because they can read what it is. These merchants should made whole for the losses they sustained by these raids. Recall the CVS issue with the state alerted them with a warning.

Yes, "Little Poland was targeted by the state."

The Mayor should always be advised by the state on their plans of entering New Britain establishments.

Much, To Mr. Bernacki's credit he is supporting our mayor to be notified by the state in the future, even though he opposes his typical management style, as our mayor.

fs.