HARTFORD--Mayor Luke Bronin hosted a town hall meeting Tuesday night, following protests at City Hall Monday night during a City Council meeting.
The mayor proposed establishing a committee at the state Capitol to help oversee Hartford's finances. The mayor said the commission would have the authority to re-negotiate city union contracts. The City Council voted down the mayor’s proposal, and union demonstrators swarmed the meeting.
On Tuesday night, Mayor Bronin heard concerns from city residents at the West Indian Social Club, as well as suggestions about how to address the $48.5 million budget gap for the next fiscal year.
“To work in the city, you have to live in the city,” suggested lifelong resident Ellen Nurse. “Police and fire should live in the city. You can’t imagine the amount of money that leaves here on Fridays.”
"The teacher’s union, the police department, the fire department, we should create some type of incentive to have them live within the city limits,” said resident Marcus Jarvis.
The financial crisis set the tone for the town hall meeting. Mayor Bronin spent nearly 30 minutes talking about the city’s financial situation before taking questions.
“We can’t kick the can down the road because the end of the road is a cliff,” said Mayor Bronin.
The mayor went on to say that state law prevents Hartford from requiring union employees live in the city. He instead wants to incentivize people with ideas like selling blighted homes for a dollar. “We’re going to start giving opportunities to take those homes, fix them up, so long as they commit to rehabbing it,” said Bronin.
Hartford mom Tamara Jackson said the only way to make Hartford better is to invest in its school system. “The only thing to take away from a city to keep them poor and uneducated is to take away their education, period,” said Jackson.
Bronin said repeatedly at the town hall meeting that he will not raise the tax mill rate, which currently sits at 74.29--the highest in the state. The mayor has also spoken on numerous occasions about looming layoffs to help close to budget gap.