Housing Insecurity in New Britain a Growing Problem That Needs to be Addressed
In September 2021 the US department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $2.2 million to the city of New Britain for a new grant called HOME-ARP. This grant was part of the $1.9 trillion that congress allocated for the American Rescue Plan to stimulate the economy, especially in poor communities who suffered most from the […]
Would Election Changes Turn Around Record Low Voter Turnout in New Britain?
Voting turnout is key to a healthy democracy. High turnout often means voters are motivated and believe their vote makes a difference. Politicians will tend to be more attuned to their constituents when turnout is high. However, in the US including Connecticut, municipal elections tend to have low voter turnout and as a result local […]
Are the Finances of the City of New Britain in Order?
In October 2023 both the New Britain Progressive and the New Britain Herald reported that the City of New Britain has failed to submit its 2022 financial audit report on time and was 10 months late. The city indicated it would submit its report by Halloween, but it has missed that deadline as well and […]
Should there be a New Britain Chief Operations Officer
On the 2022 elections ballot there were three questions for the voters to vote yes or no. One question was put by the state legislator whether to institute early voting. The other two questions were put by the Republican majority based on recommendations by the city charter re-opening committee. One question asked the voters whether […]
Former Mayor Tim Stewart Ethics Dilemma
According to the minutes of the City of New Britain Zoning Board of Appeals, former mayor Tim Stewart has been representing applicants to obtain zoning variances for them since 2020 and continued to do so for at least 7 cases (cases: #4931, #4943, #4955, #4994, #4995, #4976, #4977) since being appointed by his daughter, mayor […]
Excessive Mayor’s power in the city of New Britain
by Aram Ayalon As the new 2-year elected administration in the city of New Britain is beginning, it’s important to examine the mayor’s growing power and the lack of balance between the executive and legislative branches of the city of New Britain. As has evolved in the past 20 year the mayor’s power has become […]
Op-Ed: A Need to Advance Good Government in City Hall
By Ald. Aram Ayalon A series of recent decisions by the mayor and the Republican-led majority of the New Britain City Council, point to the lack of good government practices. For example, mayor Stewart decided to put aside a well-qualified and community-supported deputy chief of Police Murphy and appoint a less experienced and less qualified […]