#Bridgeport, CT – Mayor Joe Ganim today issued the following statement praising the Bridgeport City Council vote to reject the last-minute pay hikes given to former Mayor Bill Finch and dozens of his political appointees on the last day of the previous administration.  (Mayor Finch received a retroactive raise of $17,079.58 retroactive issued November 30, 2015, and a complete list of the raises for political appointees is attached to the end of this release.)  The pay raises cost taxpayers nearly $2.5 Million dollars that were not budgeted for during the current fiscal year.  They were contained in the latest contract negotiated with the supervisors’ union.

“This is a very wise decision by our city councilors to reject these appalling raises that Mayor Finch succeeded in sneaking through in the last days of his administration, without the proper scrutiny.  These raises are costing taxpayers nearly $2.5 Million dollars for the current fiscal year, an expenditure no one budgeted for and that is now adding to our already staggering budget deficit.  Much of the money walked out the door along with Mayor Finch’s cronies on the last day of the previous administration because it was direct deposited into people’s bank accounts.  But we will make every effort to get those funds back.  I look forward to working with the supervisor’s union on hammering out a new contract that is more in line with the best interests of Bridgeport’s taxpayers.”

(City of Bridgeport Press Release)

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