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Residents urge clearer council powers and a mission statement at Bridgeport City public hearing
Summary
At a Bridgeport City public hearing, residents urged changes to a draft charter to clarify the council president's powers, remove language that could allow a temporary presiding council member a second vote, and add a civic mission statement; one speaker also asked that special-meeting notice be shortened from 14 days to seven.
BRIDGEPORT CITY — Residents told a public hearing on the draft city charter that the document should better define the city council's role, give the council president a clear authority to call special meetings and include a mission statement in the charter preamble.
Scott Burns, a Bridgeport resident, told committee members he supports several of the draft changes but urged editors to fix conflicting language that still appears on page 19. "The mayor shall preside at the meetings of the city council," Burns said the draft currently reads, a line he said conflicts with later provisions that allow the council president to convene meetings. Burns also urged removing a provision that would allow an acting presiding council member to cast an additional, tie-breaking vote beyond their regular member vote, calling the extra vote "problematic" and saying ties should generally mean an item does not pass.
Faith Sweeney, who was called to speak by meeting staff, read aloud a proposed vision and mission statement she drafted for the charter preamble. Sweeney read, in part: "Bridgeport is a thriving, inclusive, and resilient city where every resident is empowered to live with dignity, opportunity, and pride. Our shared future is built on transparent government, ethical leadership, cultural vibrancy, and a deep commitment to equity, sustainability, and public trust." She offered copies of the draft language to the committee.
An earlier commenter raised related transparency concerns, asking how and where the council's priorities and the mayor's annual report (cited by the speaker as Chapter 4, Section 2 of the charter) are presented to voters and suggested council members contribute district-level data on asset values, liabilities and civic participation so residents can compare year-to-year outcomes.
On a procedural point, Burns recommended shortening the draft's 14-day window for three council members to request a meeting to seven days to allow quicker response to urgent matters. Meeting staff and participants sought brief clarifications during the public testimony; background music briefly interrupted the exchange.
The committee closed the public hearing after asking whether anyone wished to speak against the item and noted the public comment period had ended at about 6:45 p.m. No council vote or formal action on the charter draft was recorded at the hearing.
