Erin Stewart
Two Days Before State Report, Stewart Withdraws Watershed Mining Plan
Just two days before a key state decision regarding Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s plan to allow strip-mining on New Britain’s protected drinking watershed land, Stewart has withdrawn the proposal. Stewart’s withdrawal of the mining plan comes just before an August 24, 2018 special meeting of the state Water Planning Council (WPC). The WPC has previously been critical […]
Reported Stewart Veto Reverts Budget to Higher Taxes and Lower School Funding
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has reportedly vetoed the city budget approved by the Democrats on the City Council that would have lowered her proposed tax increase and increased school funding. Under the City Charter rules, Stewart’s veto means that her original proposed budget takes affect as the official city budget instead of the budget approved […]
New Britain Democrats Help Bermúdez’s Lt. Governor Campaign Surge Forward
With the support of most of the delegates from New Britain, former Newtown Town Council member Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman quickly gained momentum at the Democratic State Convention to win nearly forty percent of the vote for lieutenant governor against former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. Delegates at the Convention overwhelmingly selected businessperson Ned Lamont over […]
Council Votes to Cancel Ramanauskas Monument, But Republicans Oppose
The City Council has approved a resolution to revoke approval of the placement of a monument to Adolfas Ramanauskas on city parkland, but all five Council Republicans present voted in opposition of the revocation resolution. Concern was sparked about the planned monument to Ramanauskas when news about it began filtering into New Britain in 2018 from […]
Stewart Vetoes Hiring Freeze Resolution
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has vetoed a resolution approved by the City Council to institute a hiring freeze all city positions except for public safety and temporary seasonal parks and recreation positions. The resolution had been introduced by all nine Council Democrats and all five Council Council Republicans in attendance voted against the hiring freeze. With the […]
Possible $11 Million Long-Term Deficit Apparently in Stewart’s Budget Proposal
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart proposed budget appears to cover a possible $11 million long-term deficit with non-recurring budget items that may leave a sizable shortfall in future years’ city budgets. Stewart’s budget proposal has already been criticized for increasing property taxes, despite her claim of “no tax increase”, as well as for freezing the city’s annual […]
Community Activists Organizing for City Budget Hearing
Community activists are organizing city residents to turn out and make their views known at today’s hearing on Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s proposed budget. Stewart’s 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 […]
Council Approves Hiring Freeze, With Republicans Opposing
The City Council has approved a hiring freeze on all city positions except for public safety and temporary seasonal parks and recreation positions. All five Council Republicans in attendance voted against the hiring freeze. The resolution was approved, with nine votes in favor and five in opposition. With the exception of police, fire, emergency dispatch […]
Republican Accusations Thrown Out: Merrill Gay Vindicated
The State Elections Enforcement Commission has dismissed a complaint filed by New Britain Republicans against 2017 Democratic Mayoral candidate Merrill Gay, saying, “the facts do not support the allegations.” As the 2017 mayoral election was heating up, Republican Party Chair Anthony Cane filed a complaint with a series accusations that sought to tie Gay with […]
Stewart Proposes “Huge Tax Increase” Despite Claiming “No Tax Increase”
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s budget includes what is being called a “huge tax increase,” despite her own claims that her budget is a “no tax increase” budget. Stewart’s press release on her budget proposal says that she, “presented to the Common Council a $237.72 million budget for 2018-19 that calls for no tax increase and […]