Mayor Art Ward said Friday that he told two Board of Finance members they would not be reappointed.
Ward said that he told both Janet Moylan and Mark Peterson that he'd be happy to tap them to serve on other city panels if they're interested, but not on the finance board again.
"There's nothing against their performance," Ward said.
He said he has seen a surge in interest from people hoping to snag a spot on the nine-person finance panel, which has eight volunteers and the mayor as its members.
The mayor said he wants to bring in new people to "bring some new insight" to the board, which oversees city spending and borrowing.
Ward said he wants to interview those wishing to serve to make sure he can "get a real good mix on all the boards."
Ward said his meetings with Moylan and Peterson this week were "very amiable."
He said their ouster has nothing to do with their opposition to this year's budget.
Moylan sent this message about the decision:
The mayor offered me the chance to serve on any other board if I wanted to. I told him I was not prepared to pick another board and that I thought the expertise I brought to the table was in the finance area. He said he had other people interested in serving on the Finance Board and he was not re-appointing me.
I feel that the powers that be did not like being questioned or pushed to make hard decisions. In the last two weeks of the budget process that pushing caused in excess of a million dollars to be cut from the budget and when the mayor wanted one more vote for the budget they managed to find another $420,000 to get the mill increase down to 1.25.
By not reappointing Mark and myself this because a very inexperienced board with John Smith and Rich Mize having the longest tenure. That means the same people will be pushing the budget again next year. They will not start early and they will not make the necessary cuts to keep the mill rate down. Until the issues created by the unions and previous administrations are addressed there really is nothing else left to cut in the budget. The controller's office has done a three year projection and
unless something serious is done there will be mill increases for the foreseeable future.
I felt I did a good job for the city and I am disappointed that my doing what I believe is the right thing to do was met with disapproval because it did not agree with the wishes of the powerful. I will continue to be interested in what happens in the city and hopefully will find a way to contribute.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
29 comments:
Welcome to the Bully's Lair! Remember, we are moving FOR Ward! (the emphasis is on FOR).....
Thank God for Art Ward.
No wait.
Thank Art Ward for God.
Thank you for your service. Seems that if people are not removed from a Board at the beginning of a Mayor's term in office then they should remain until that Mayor's term is up. Seems very transparent about what is really going on.
Is it coincidence that these were two of Stortz's appointments, and was a minority appointment, and one was a female, one of two on the BOF??
Going BACKWARD!
Oh well, it's the mayor's call. Some new blood might be a good thing.
And Ward wants a four year term??
Just think of how much damage he would do then!!!
Lets get rid of him ASAP!
WARD HIMSELF NEEDS THE NEXT BOOT. DO NOT GET COMFORTABLE ART.
Art Ward is a HYPOCRITE and a JERK! If he really wanted new blood he should of gotten rid of Mize when he had the chance.
He gets rid of the people who publicly opposed him. How obvious can he be?
This is a great example Ward is setting, either agree with him or you'll get punished.
Heard a park board member is resigning because WARD is a real jerk!
Wow - moving forward isn't working!!
Klocko rules!
Way to go Art!
And you wonder why the real people do not want to get involved, only the political cronies get taken care of.
We need a change on the third floor!
Janet: Thank you for your service. You possess the skill set we need on BOF and other boards and commissions. Must be because you are from MA like me! I just want you to know that I appreciate your selfless effort. BOF of finance work can be tedius but you certainly did your homework and were prepared. You have made a significant contribution to the community with your service on the BOE & BOF.
I didn't follow the budget process really closely, but from articles in the Press it seemed as though Janet Moylan was being fiscally responsible. I applaud her effort and time spent serving this community. I think it's good to have opposition on the BoF to keep the spending in check.
I understand that Peterson is a Corporate Financial Analyst at ESPN.
Nice message to ESPN Art.
We want your money, but otherwise don't care about you.
Funny how a little power can go to ones head.
Mr. ward seems to be taking a play out of bloomies book . NEVER admit to the truth.
Connecticut seems doomed to a miserable future .
Art himself said this had nothing to do with this years budget.
C'mon, how stupid you take us for?
You are just setting the table for next years fiasco!
God Bless Janet Moylan a true American hero.
Ward should be ashamed of himself, his political cronyism with John Smith and his Board of Education buddies like O'Brien.
The city of Bristol loses.
Funny how the same handful of childish twits here spout their usual anonymous insults and drivel without having a clue as to what's actually going on...kinda like monkeys in a cage. It would almost be comical if it wasn't so pathetic!
Janet's response, which I agree with, makes it very clear as to why she is being removed!
Art does not like to be questioned or challenged.
With someone like Art in the leadership position, unless HE comes up with the idea, nothing will change.
Not good for Bristol.
If Ward wants Fresh ideas - then why keep Mize and the other dinosaurs on the finance board? Oh they are his buddies. Ward gets rid of those who question him, and who are smarter than he. Ward has become Zoppo in so many ways.
From Chris Ziogas: Ward threatened
to block my re-appointment when I was on the BOF.He did not like my
criticism of his in-flated Public Works budget of which he was chairman.I would not give him that satisfaction so I retired.He was bad then and is worse now for what he does to two fine, capable and professional BOF members in Moylan and Peterson.
I would not support a four yr.term for mayor as we can see, Ward is in it for himself and not for the best interests of the city.each board will eventually be made up of
Ward-ites: who he will reject at the the first sign of independent thinking. Art the interests of the city come first!
three in two weeks.
what am i talking about? art threatened to boot kate matthews from a committee because he didn't like her no votes and didn't want her to bring light to a nasty situation brewing on that committee.
now, art is booting moylan and peterson from the board of finance....because he wants new blood? that's a little too transparent, artie. we're not THAT stupid. you sure love your yes-men and are quick to get rid of any who crosses your path.
i can't believe he gets away with this stuff. there should be bigger implications for art than a quick mention on a blog that only 10 people read.
Union thugs run the Democrat party, no matter which one of them is mayor.
"Those voting against the budget were city Councilors Cockayne and David Mills and finance board members Moylan, Mark Peterson and Bob Casar. Cockayne and Mills are the only GOP councilors." Bristol Press, 5/17/10.
As elected officials, Art can't fire Cockayne and Mills for this. Casar IS new blood.
Moylan and Peterson are now gone because they sided against Art.
Art is a tyrant.
Stortz wasn't so bad, after all!!!
11:06
Just Ward driving another female out of public service.
Why is Ward such a misogynist?
The Council can keep this from happening: all they need is four votes (two plus Mills and Cockayne).
Lets see if they have the guts!!
7:25pm or the Ba@#s!
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