Bridgeport members debate charter changes on outside counsel, council staffing and tie-breaking votes

At a special meeting convened about 6:06 p.m., members present discussed a package of proposed amendments to Bridgeport's city charter that would change how the council organizes leadership, when it may retain outside legal counsel, and how it staffs a new Office of Legislative Services.

The discussion centered on four issues: whether to codify additional leadership titles such as deputy majority leaders; whether the council should be able to authorize outside counsel (and by what vote threshold); how to structure and appoint a director for a proposed nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services; and whether the council president, when presiding, should have a second, tie-breaking vote.

Why it matters: the charter sets the council’s formal powers and the rules that govern city operations. Changes that broaden the council’s authority to hire outside counsel or that change who may request budget transfers would affect how council members access legal advice and how midyear budget changes are handled. The proposed Office of Legislative Services and a multi-year, unclassified director position raise questions about…