Featured
Timothy Stewart Faces Charges of Racism and Calls for His Ouster from Chamber of Commerce Presidency
Former Republican Mayor Timothy Stewart is facing charges of racism from city residents and calls from members of the public for his resignation or removal from his position leading the Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, State Representative Bobby Sanchez (D-New Britain) held a press conference critical of Stewart’s comments that, “the inmates continue […]
Rallying to Support a New Britain Resident Targeted by Anti-Immigrant Agenda
A candlelight vigil was held at the home of longtime New Britain resident Mariano Cardoso, Sr., who is facing deportation in a time when the national government is in the grip of Republican President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant politics. The vigil, on the evening of November 17th, followed a rally held in Hartford in the morning […]
Magnuszewski Elected as City Council’s Top Leader
In its first meeting of its new term, the City Council has elected Democratic At-Large Alderwoman Eva Magnuszewski (D-AL) to its top position, the President Pro-Tempore. The President Pro Tempore of the City Council is the official leader of the Council. The President Pro Tempore is also effectively the deputy mayor of the city, being second […]
A Split Decision in New Britain’s City Elections
Democratic Mayoral candidate Merrill Gay’s campaign, in which he had said he wanted to revitalize and build-up city Democrats, brought a split decision in the 2017 city elections. The Democratic team led by Gay won victories over Republican incumbents across the city and won a 9 to 6 majority on the City Council, but Gay, […]
City Taps Patton Brook Well For Water After Calling Off Bargain Basement Sale, Hiking Rates To Pay For MDC Water.
By John McNamara More than a year after the Stewart administration and Common Council sought to sell off the Patton Brook Well at an undervalued price of $1 million the unused well is replenishing the Shuttle Meadow reservoir. Mayor Stewart and her Council majority authorized the sale in August 2016, seeking to give up the […]
Numbers Don’t Back Mayor Stewart’s Claim That State Budget Caused City’s Negative Credit Rating
By John McNamara Contributing Columnist Mayor Erin Stewart has blamed this year’s state budget crisis for the city’s negative credit rating in response to a November 2nd report of an “escalating” debt and her administration’s own budget that shows interest payments will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over the next four years. “We were downgraded […]
New Britain’s Bond Rating Drops From Stable To Negative: Huge Spike In Debt Through 2021 Cited By Moody’s
By John McNamara Contributing Columnist Republican incumbent Mayor Erin Stewart, in her re-election campaign this year and throughout her second term, has touted improving municipal bond ratings for New Britain’s fiscal solvency, claiming credit for budget surpluses of $15 million and pushing spending up at City Hall with no need for an election year tax […]
April 2016 Protest in New Britain Against Manafort Prescient of Recent Indictments
Criminal charges are being made, now, against former Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort, by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, but, on April 23rd, 2016, charges against Manafort were being made by members of the Ukrainian community in New Britain, warning of things now front and center in the national consciousness. As Contributing Columnist John McNamara wrote […]
Board of Education Candidates Discuss Education Funding, Diversity and Special Education.
Democrat Violet Sims and Democrat Annie Parker join incumbent Democratic Board of Education member Daisy Sanchez in running for Board of Education opposite Republican Nancy Rodriguez, current Republican Board of Education President Nick Mercier and Republican Board of Education member Mallory Deprey. The Board of Education is responsible for managing and setting policy for the New Britain school district […]
State to Provide $1 Million to NBHS Under Commissioner’s Network Program
The Consolidated School District of New Britain has announced that the State Board of Education has approved New Britain High School as the state’s newest “Commissioner’s Network School”, bringing with it $1 million in additional funding for NBHS during the next three years. NBHS was initially selected as a possible Commissioner’s Network school on October […]
At Large City Council Candidates Discuss Education, Economy and Water
Current Democratic Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-3) is joined by fellow Democrats, Eva Magnuszewski, Yvonne Muniz, Katie Breslin and Richard Reyes as the Democratic candidates for At-Large City Council members, facing Republican Desiree Costa and incumbent Republicans Tremell Collins (R-AL), Jim Sanders, Jr. (R-AL) and Daniel Davis (R-AL) and the Republican Council Leader Daniel Salerno (R-AL). […]
Ward 5 City Council Candidates Discuss Making City Hall Work for the Community
Democrat Francisco Santiago joins the Democratic City Council Leader Carlo Carlozzi Jr. as the Democratic candidates in the Ward 5 City Council election, with Republican Carmelo Rodriguez and Republican Miriam Geraci as their party’s candidates. New Britain’s Ward 5 includes the northwest and northernmost parts of the city. Ward 5 includes the neighborhoods around Slater Road and Corbin Avenue, […]
Ward 4 City Council Candidates Campaign on Education, Economy and Watershed Land
Democratic challengers Ann Speyer and Bobby Berriault are taking on incumbent Republicans Don Naples (R-4) and Robert Smedley (R-4) in the election for the two City Council seats representing New Britain’s Ward 4. New Britain’s Ward 4 elects two members of the City Council. The ward includes Little Poland, the Belvedere neighborhood, the Little Warsaw neighborhood, the Stanley […]
Ward 3 City Council Candidates Focus on Neighborhood Concerns
Democrats Iris Sanchez and Aram Ayalon and Republicans Joel Moret and Jason Gibson are running for the two City Council seats representing New Britain’s Ward 3. Sanchez and Ayalon say that they are running for City Council to advocate for public services for the working class and the elderly and to protecting water and air quality. Ward 3 […]
Merrill Gay Announces Total Campaign Contributions of Over $60,000
Democratic Mayoral candidate Merrill Gay has announced that he has received $29,660 in campaign contruibutions between July and September. Gay announced that his most recent campaign finance report brings the total amount he has raised in contributions toward his Mayoral bid to over $60,000. That amount of money is widely considered to be one sign […]
Ward 2 Candidates Discuss Serving New Britain’s East Side
Democrats Lamar Bowsky and Brian Keith Albert are discussing improvements to the city economy and community services for the people of New Britain’s East Side in their challenge to first-term incumbent Republicans Jerrell Hargraves (R-2) and Kristian Rosado (R-2) in the City Council elections in Ward 2. New Britain’s Ward 2 elects two members of the […]
Ward 1 City Council Candidates
The City Council election in New Britain’s Ward 1 is between two incumbent Republicans and two Democratic challengers. Democrats Veronica T. DeLandro and Molly McGuire are taking on Ald. Jamie Giantonio (R-1) and Ald. Wilfredo Pabon (R-1), two of the city’s longest-serving Council members. Ten of the fifteen members of the City Council are elected from […]
Community Meetings for Ebenezer D. Bassett Saturday Academy Oct 7th and Oct 21st
Ebenezer D. Bassett Saturday Academy, sponsored by the NAACP New Britain Branch will be holding community meetings on October 7th and 21st. “Do you have a child in the 6th grade that needs a mentor?” asks the program organizers. “Have you ever thought about being a mentor? We invite you to attend the Ebenezer D. […]
Reportedly False Attempt to Bury Article on Stewart Tax Mailing Elections Complaint
Democratic City Council candidate Bobby Berriault reports that someone falsely used his identity in an attempt to have Facebook remove a New Britain Progressive article about an elections complaint filed against Republican Mayor Erin Stewart. This New Britain Progressive article reports that a formal complaint has been filed against Stewart with the State Elections Enforcement Commission […]
Complaint Against Stewart Filed Over “obvious campaign promotion in car tax bills”
A formal complaint has been filed against Republican Mayor Erin Stewart with the State Elections Enforcement Commission by Democratic Chair Bill Shortell, according the city Democrats. Shortell says that he filed the complaint in response to a brochure included in motor vehicle tax bills. The brochure, Democrats say, “included statements promoting Stewart’s candidacy under her […]