You Can’t Make These Things Up
By Editor at April 26, 2024 | 9:30 am | Print
Each week the New Britain City Journal is boggled by the shenanigans that go on in this City. This week is no exception.
First, we find out that Mayor Tim O’Brien is looking to stop residents from getting over $220,000 in taxes from the Human Resources Agency.
This isn’t a new deal made. The deal to get taxes from the HRA was made under Former Mayor Tim Stewart’s administration in order to help reduce resident’s taxes.
Mr. O’Brien in his infinite wisdom has decided to not take the $220,000 plus dollars from the HRA and make a new deal.
The City gave the HRA the land for a low price so it could one day get taxes from it. What is Mr. O’Brien thinking?
If this was a new deal, Mr. O’Brien would have the right to decide not to charge taxes. But, he cannot change the deed. It is illegal and the citizens of this City would have the right to sue this mayor for those monies. Since this was approved by Council members they may be in line to pay the money back as well.
We are not saying the HRA is a bad organization. It is great to have them in the City. But, that doesn’t mean it should not abide by the deed it signed. It is responsible for those payments. The City needs and deserves that money.
Second this week, the City is not giving this paper files it requested. They claim they don’t have the information. How convenient?
We know money from the $100,000 used for a PR firm was given to various companies. The public has the right to know how Mr. O’Brien is spending our money.
This paper will find out one way or another. Was it given to his friends at The Herald to keep them in business? Is that why there is so much secrecy? The Herald Publisher claims it did not affect how the paper covered the City. Maybe, that is true, but residents still deserve to know how much The Herald received from Mr. O’Brien.
It is not illegal to give a newspaper money for ads. If this newspaper was given money for ads, we would accept it as well. It’s just the facts we are looking for and deserve.
And lastly, we must mention that a mayor from New York made a public apology to Sam Zherka recently. Mr. Zherka, manages Farmington Hills in New Britain as well as owning the Westchester Guardian and various other ventures in New York.
Mr. O’Brien has many times done and said things about Mr. Zherka. We wonder if O’Brien will be giving a similar speech in the future to Mr. Zherka.
Nothing is above the realm of possibilities in New Britain these days.
