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New Britain council votes to hold hearing on disciplining Alderman Robert Smedley after social-media post
Summary
The New Britain Common Council voted Feb. 18 to hold a public hearing to consider disciplining — up to removal — Alderman Robert Smedley over a social-media post that residents and some council members said made unverified accusations; the action follows a lengthy, sharply divided public-comment period.
The New Britain Common Council voted on Feb. 18 to hold a public hearing to determine whether Alderman Robert Smedley should be disciplined, including possible removal, after a contentious public-comment period that split residents over how to respond to a social-media post Smedley made while grieving.
The resolution — amended on the floor to say the alderman "shall be disciplined, up to removal" — passed after council debate and public testimony. Council leaders said the hearing is a due-process step under the city charter and code of ordinances; the amended language clarifies the range of penalties the council may consider at a later hearing, which the council directed be held no later than March 13, 2026.
Why it matters: The measure pits concerns about public-accountability and the safety of residents and staff against arguments about proportionality and respect for long public service. Residents who turned out to the special meeting and callers who phoned in were deeply…
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