News Analysis
Hearing On Demolition Of Mount Pleasant Public Housing Set For Tuesday, March 7
Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN -A public hearing on the planned demolition of the Mount Pleasant family housing complex on Myrtle Street will be held Tuesday, March 7, at 3 pm at the Jane Johnson Conference Room, 18 Armistice Street that is located in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. There is a zoom link for the meeting […]
“Formal Changes” Coming To Fair Rent Commission’s Rules And Regs
Common Council Petition Seeks Answers To Commission’s Compliance With The Law In Handling Landlord and Tenant Rent Increase Disputes By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – The Mayor’s Office “will be seeking formal changes to the rules and regulations of the Fair Rent Commission” to clarify the roles of housing and human rights and opportunities employees […]
Mount Pleasant Slated for Demolition and Redevelopment In Revised NBHA Plan
Staff Reports | News Analysis A March 7th hearing will be held at the New Britain Housing Authority (NBHA) on “significant amendments” to the Authority’s 2023 annual plan that include the demolition and redevelopment of the aging Mount Pleasant family housing complex on Myrtle Street. With an approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this […]
City Charter Question Sparks Bill For “Clarity” In Wording Of Local Referendums
Local And State LWV Backs Proposed Legislation At GAE Committee By John McNamara HARTFORD -Legislation to ensure specific wording on local referendum questions has been proposed by New Britain lawmakers in the 2023 Connecticut General Assembly. Proposed Bill 862 “to increase the clarity and simplicity of the language presented to voters in municipal referendum questions” […]
Top 10 of 2022: #1: Federal COVID Aid to City Boosts High Profile Capital Projects
The quantity of federal aid given to the city as part of the federal pandemic relief, and how it was spent, may have seemed mundane news in the moment, but its impact in terms of local projects — and politics — has been profound. In 2022, Republican politicians attributed federal spending in the form of […]
Top 10 of 2022: #3: Property Revaluation
Property tax revaluations in Connecticut communities are producing higher than ever appraisals for tax purposes. New Britain is no exception and the impact on city residents and the municipal budget will hit home in 2023 when they take effect. Connecticut’s main system for local taxation, property taxes, are regressive, meaning that people tend to pay […]
Top 10 of 2022: #5: Hayes, Other Democrats Win Big in New Britain
What Republicans sought and Democrats feared never happened. The anticipated 2022 Republican wave victory fizzled out and Democrats rolled to big wins in New Britain. Republicans had high hopes nationwide. Buoyed by predictions of the “red wave”, they were blaming President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats for the runaway inflation that was much more caused […]
Top 10 of 2022: #6: More City Debt To Pay For Stewart Annual Budgets
On topic, again, of a newspaper’s role as the first draft of history is what is probably the most historically enduring legacy of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart — annual budgets being floated by debt to be paid for by taxpayers long after she is no longer Mayor. It has been called formal-sounding terms, like, “debt […]
Mill Rate Cut Is Expected To Offset Big Jump In Property Tax Values
Post-Pandemic Revaluation Brings Hikes Of 50% Or More To Single And Multi Family Homes By John McNamara New Britain’s turn for a revaluation of real property came this year in the regressive property tax system that mandates every city and town set new values for tax purposes every five years. Unlike the last revaluation in […]
Attorney Bill Rivera Is First Hispanic Elected To Probate Court
Democrat Reverses 2021 Special Election Loss To Republican Mike Carrier By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – Attorney Bill Rivera, a Common Council Majority Leader in the 1990s, won a close race for Judge of Probate in the November 8th state election and is believed to be the first person of Hispanic heritage elected to office […]