Charter Changes Necessary
By Editor at October 17, 2023 | 9:15 am | Print
In the past two months we have seen the top two Democratic Council leaders take a tumble. First was then Mayor Pro Tem Michael Trueworthy for a drunken rampage which resulted in the degrading of women and our Mayor Erin Stewart and saying anti-gay slurs to gay business owners.
When Trueworthy resigned as Mayor Pro Tem, Suzanne Bielinski was named to the position. Now, following a Civil Services Commission hearing it has been recommended Bielinski be removed from Council and fined $2,500 for hiring her niece in law Jessica Gerratana as Council Secretary.
Trueworthy did not resign from Council nor did the Council vote to even look at removing him. Many claim the reason being he did not violate the charter.
Bielinski has appealed the commission decision and remains on the Council as pro tem as well. She very well may never be forced off the council as red tape will likely keep the case going until the next election process.
With all this behavior isn’t it time New Britain look at a new process for removing Council members who violate basic human right issues and are found of wrongdoing by one of our own commissions?
An amendment to the charter may be a good place to start.
These two Council members should not be allowed to just go on as if they did nothing wrong. A lot of it is due to the fact that they are part of the Democratic majority. Their party holds the votes to decide their future in the long run.
Do citizens really want to see people who have done the type of things they did run our City?
Both of them should take it upon themselves to resign, but obviously neither will.
This portrays New Britain in a horrible light in the state.
It is time for new rules to be put in place in order to prevent such actions in the future from happening by either political party.
The New Britain City Journal recommends a change in the charter in two areas. It needs to look at the process for removal of a Councilman and needs to strengthen the power of our commission’s decisions.
