Council Democrats Propose Freeze on Hiring and Promotion

The nine Democrats on the City Council are proposing, “an immediate hiring freeze and promotion freeze on all positions in the City,” citing, “fiscal challenges facing the City.”

The proposed Council resolution says that, because of budgetary challenges, “it is necessary and desirable to achieve cost savings by appropriate measures to ensure the funds of the City residents are used in a competent way.”

The resolution would, if enacted, provide that, with the exception of police, fire and emergency dispatch positions, “no personnel position that becomes vacant shall be replaced, except with the prior approval of the Common Council.” Ald. Carlo Carlozzi, Jr. (D-5) says that the seasonal camp and parks and recreation positions would not be included in the freeze.

On April 11th, the Council received Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s budget proposal. Her proposal has been criticized for increasing property taxes despite her claim of “no tax increase”, as well as for freezing the city’s annual education allocation and continuing to rely on increased city debt to balance the annual budget.

Carlozzi says that there is concern about new city jobs that are being created by the Stewart administration.

The Council, under the City Charter, has sixty days to consider Stewart’s budget. That means it is in its period of budgetary review that ends no later than June 10, 2018. By the date, the Council, by a majority vote of its entire membership, may make changes to the budget proposed by Stewart before it takes effect.

The resolution that the nine Council members are proposing would set a direction that, “the Common Council of the City of New Britain desires to make long term changes and improve efficiencies within the City of New Britain.”

If approved, the resolution would provide that, “the immediate hiring freeze and promotion freeze established by this resolution shall remain in effect until lifted by the Common Council of the City of New Britain by further resolution.”

The resolution is on the agenda for the April 25, 2018 Council meeting. It is being proposed by Carlozzi, Ald. Eva Magnuszewski (D-AL), Ald. Emmanuel Sanchez (D-AL), Ald. Richard Reyes (D-AL), Ald. Brian Keith Albert (D-2), Ald. Aram Ayalon (D-3), Ald. Katie Breslin (D-AL), Ald. Iris Sanchez (D-3) and Ald. Francisco Santiago (D-5).