After 17 Months of the O’Brien Administration

After 17 months of the O’Brien administration, New Britain residents continue to suffer under

possibly the biggest tragedy in the history of New Britain politics. What is this tragedy? Not once in all these past 17 months has there been anything positive reported about this administration in any of the local news media. 

Since day one of O’Brien’s tenure New Britain residents have been subjected to: broken promises, prevarications, character assassination of the previous administration, firings of department heads/directors, senseless dismantling of departments, manipulation of taxpayer funds without Council approval for personal use. e.g., hiring of P.R. firm and payments to a consultant for NO WORK done, no search committee or job posting to hire a community organizer whose spouse is a Council member, and the list could go on.

In November of 2011 O’Brien institutes a hiring freeze then immediately hires Phil Sherwood to be his Communications Director; later Phil’s title is changed to its current iteration of Deputy Chief of Staff with multiple upward salary adjustments to its current number of ? dollars. 

Later, came the multiple claims of huge deficits - don’t know what has happened with those except, whatever was done resulted in a lowering of the City’s Bond Rating. Water Department Reserves are depleted (by at least $16 million) and those funds are mingled with General Fund monies. Revenue streams are predicted from which the city gets little or nothing. Promises made that taxes will not rise and the mill rate increases by over 8 mills. Yes, some residential property taxes will decrease but how about other taxes such as personal property. Real estate values are decreased but that is not a plus.

In my opinion the most flagrant abuse of New Britain taxpayers by O’Brien has come from his appropriation of Taxpayer funds for “personal use” to hire a P.R. Firm ($100 thousand) and a private consultant who was hired almost a year ago (Pudlin) and paid $30 thousand for producing no work. Both of these expenditures were the result of no bid contracts. Why were they needed?  I ask, why is this different from stealing, misuse of taxpayer funds, fraud, etc.? If any taxpayers don’t pay their taxes, they are assessed fines and are subject to having their properties liened.

Have you all read O’Brien’s budget? Look at the projected revenue streams and you will see very quickly that his budget is a work of fiction. Stay tuned, more to come.

 By:Lou Salvio