05 November, 2024
3 mins read

Did Stewart Get A Prohibited Campaign Freebie In Mailing Of Car Tax Bills?

By John McNamara Contributing Columnist New Britain motor vehicle owners finally got their bills on September 1 along with a glowing missive from Mayor Erin Stewart that makes the case for her re-election. The city held up auto tax notices this year, blaming the state budget impasse for the two month delay. Uncertain was whether […]

2 mins read

Proposed 23% Mayoral Pay Increase Re-Emerges As Issue in Debate on School System Salaries

The proposal promoted by Republican Mayor Erin Stewart to increase the mayor’s salary by 23% was thrust again into attention by the recent controversy among city Republicans about the salary levels of three school system staff members. In a recent article and editorial in the New Britain City Journal, Republican elected officials allied with Stewart […]

1 min read

Connecticut Hispanic Democratic Caucus Endorses Merrill Gay for Mayor and Entire New Britain Democratic Slate

The Connecticut Hispanic Democratic Caucus (CHDC), a statewide coalition of Hispanic/Latino elected and appointed officials, community leaders, clergy, and business leaders, has endorsed Democrat Merrill Gay’s candidacy for Mayor of New Britain, as well as the entire Democratic slate in this year’s New Britain elections. “Our caucus typically only endorses Hispanic candidates,” said CHDC president […]

2 mins read

Stewart Allies Criticize Kane Salary Three Months After Stewart Objected to Kane Comments on City Budget

The criticism, by allies of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart, of a decision by the Board of Education to increase the salaries of school system Chief Financial Officer Kevin Kane came about three months after Stewart, herself, publicly criticized Kane because of a presentation by Kane that Stewart took as critical of her then-proposed budget. In a […]

3 mins read

GOP Alderman Hits School Board On Salaries But Rubber Stamps Pay Hikes, More Spending At City Hall

By John McNamara The sometimes fragile relations between City Hall and the Board of Education took a backward step this week over complaints from Ward 2 Republican Alderman Kristian Rosado appearing in the New Britain City Journal. Rosado, in a front-page story in the City Journal, derided a unanimous BOE move on salary increases for […]

1 min read

UAW and Working Families Support Merrill Gay for Mayor

Democratic Mayoral candidate Merrill Gay has announced that he has received the endorsement from the United Auto Workers Region 9A, and Connecticut’s Working Families Party, just one day before the New Britain Democratic Party will vote on whether to endorse him for the Democratic nomination. The two endorsements add to the support Gay already received from […]

7 mins read

The Web of Watershed Mining

Records show that key players in the proposal by Republican Mayor Erin Stewart to allow the Tilcon company to strip-mine New Britain drinking watershed land are tied together, behind the scenes, in a network of business and other relationships. Tilcon, the company that is seeking a long-term deal, in which it would be permitted to […]

3 mins read

Stewart Water Fee Increase Debate Deepens

In the debate around Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s plan to increase water rates, despite her promise not to increase taxes, Democratic Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-3) has responded to the Republican mayor’s defense of her proposal. Stewart has cited ongoing water infrastructure projects, decreasing revenues and that water rates have not increased recently as reasons for […]

1 min read

$15.5 Million Deficit Appears Hidden in Stewart’s Budget

The city budget proposed by Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has what appears to have a hidden $15,541,294 deficit built into it, a deficit that could continue to re-appear into future budget years. Stewart’s budget contains two substantial budget lines that are based on short-term assumptions. The first, as the New Britain Progressive reported in April, […]

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