Stortz: Let's get some publicity for Muzzy's 100th

Former Mayor William Stortz sent this along:
Why doesn't the Mayor and the Marketing Committee join together with Mr. Swicklas in trying to get the President to Bristol and Muzzy field? More than likely the Governor will be here. Maybe he can help convince the President to come. They should also contact our two Senators and all the Representatives, and encourage them to call on the president.  I would also hope that our "Marketing" Committee, along with Ed, has put together a package containing the legacy, the history, and events that are planned for Muzzy Field this year. Besides helping to convince the President to come, this package should be sent to ALL newspapers in CT, as well as the NY Times and the Boston Globe.  We need to get the word out there: this certainly would help. After all, we do have a Marketing Committee and Marketing Company to help do this, don't we?
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz suggests new "Bristol Pride Week"

Note from former Mayor William Stortz re a possible "Bristol Pride Week::

Last year I mentioned to Bill Englert and Tom LaPorte the idea of having a “Bristol Pride Week:

Bill liked the idea, but being quite ill at the time, didn’t feel he could take it on at that time.

I bring it up again, hoping that maybe the Chamber and Team Bristol might pick up on it and even consider doing it in Bill’s honor, acknowledging all he did for Bristol.

This would be a 7-10 day period with a number of Bristol events that would among other things, show off Bristol

I thought June might be a good time with two church festivals and the Car Show usually scheduled around then. We also have the dinner for those High School graduates going the service. . I am sure that there are many other activities around the same time. With a little effort, some organizations might schedule their events during this period. With Muzzy Field having a Birthday, this would be a good time to put the spotlight on it too.

This would help facilitate advertising and promotion, especially outside Bristol, thereby bringing people into Bristol. A map of events and a schedule would help also

Museums might reprice admission, restaurants might have specials etc. etc.

I have attached a copy of a letter I sent a while back, which might be helpful.

B glad to discuss it further if you are interested.

Would be good for Bristol and a wonderful way to honor Bill Englert.

Bill Stortz

P.S.

Copy sent to media, in case something gets done.

Letter to the Editor

In reading various newspapers and magazines, I noticed that many Connecticut towns and cities have their own “Pride Day” .I thought, why doesn’t Bristol do that, and actually go one step better and have a “Bristol Pride Week”. I know that in the fall, we proudly celebrate Mum Festival with many activities that bring our community together and attracts out of town visitors.

However,   this time of year offers many other individual community activities over a 10-15 day period, such as the Zorba Festival, St Anthony’s Festival, the Soap Box Derby, the Bristol Brass and Wind Ensemble Concert, the Car Show, the Fiddlers Concert. With some slight adjustments, maybe the Veterans Council could recognize the graduating seniors that are going in the service; the Elks could have their Flag Day if it fit into this 10 day period... An open house tour of Muzzy Field might be arranged. Museums could provide special pricing. The Library has its Book Sale, and maybe some special programs could be arranged at the Libraries. Those organizations that regularly have Sunday Breakfasts could coordinate one each weekend. Adding a few other events, if possible, and publicizing them, would certainly make for a successful “Bristol Pride Week!”

With a little help, there could be an ad in the Press, and some of the major papers in the state, listing the events, and the schedule. If we ever get the portable information Kiosk, it could be brought to the various events, not only for the benefit of visitors from out of town, but also for local people. Brochures of interesting places to visit, Menus, Maps and schedules of future events would be very informative and helpful.

Badges touting Bristol Pride Week could be distributed, even days before the event.

All events would collectively receive more publicity than they would individually; Bristol would receive greater exposure, certainly regionally, even statewide. Businesses would benefit with the added interest, hopefully that week, but also over an extended period of time.

We don’t need a consultant to do something like this; Bristol has many interested and capable people.

Certainly there are many other ideas for events, and I am sure that good minds will come up with them, and also resolve any of the questions and challenges that might arise.

As I see it, something like this would certainly be a benefit to Bristol as we try to market our self, instill and display our pride, and create an even better Bristol.

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Zerbey and Barnes knew how to treat politicians

Don't miss this column by former Press Publisher Joe Zerbey.
  Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz offers budget suggestions to city

Former Mayor William Stortz sent the following suggestions about the city budget to Mayor Art Ward and Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski to help begin the discussion of how the city can resolve  a looming multi-million dollar budget gap next year:

William Stortz

Mayor Ward, Chairman Miecznikowski,

It is encouraging to hear that a more proactive effort will be made to address Bristol’s shaky financial situation. I sincerely hope that there will be some meaningful follow through and action in this regard.

Back on October 23, 2007, just before I left office, I wrote a memo to the then Board of Finance, with a copy to the then City Council, urging them to seriously consider the apparent deteriorating national economic situation and to consider taking some action... Earlier I had asked most department heads to analyze what impact this less than rosy financial situation would have on the city of Bristol, and the various departments. Their replies were available to the BOF and Council. Councilman Ward and Chairman Rich, among others, received copies.

This request was made because of the constant reporting in various papers of concerns by many economists and business leaders. One had only to follow what was happening and being reported to be concerned. I felt that it was not too early to look at the possible ramifications to Bristol, department by department.

A similar situation is seemingly on the horizon; maybe not as bad, but in light of the fact that we have not fully recovered, we could be facing some tough times again.

I mention this, not because I want to see it happen, but because I would hope that a strong effort would be made to address all of our systemic problems so that we are not as unprepared as we were last time.

With that in mind, I would like to make some suggestions that might help address the overall local problem. Admittedly some are not new, some are not of a large impact. But they all add up. Also, many can be implemented right away, realizing immediate savings. Many can be implemented by management; some may require discussion with the bargaining units. But, I can assure you that the bargaining units are willing to talk: in fact they do have some meaningful ideas to offer.

Remember, virtually all expenditures are approved by city officials, elected and/or appointed, and that the same goes for revenue projections. Maybe that is one area that should be carefully scrutinized.

First, we should have all departments prepare a description of their department’s responsibilities, scope of involvement. Then have this reviewed by the mayor and council to assure that there is agreement in what a department is charged with, what they have to budget for. May sound simplistic, but it will define their role,  while at the same time provide a better understanding to the board of Finance and the Council as to who does what. I am sure it will be enlightening to many, maybe even some department heads. It will be useful now and at future budget times. It will be helpful to those relatively new members, Council and BOF. At the same time, it is a must if there is any consideration of privatization. I do not see how one can consider any effort at privatization without it, and certainly would look askance at any firm that made any proposal without it. Maybe it has been done already, in that regard.

Second, unless there have been some changes, the city does not monitor and control individual departments and line items by month. I suggest that a system be implemented that required each department to project monthly expenditures (this can be done AFTER the budget is approved). Then as monthly expenditures are recorded, a regular analysis would be easy, and provide that months variation and year to date variation.

While Bristol’s accounting system is somewhat archaic, the system I described above is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement. It would be better if it was part of the overall system, but that may take some money. This simplistic report could be easily made available for review.

First, by requiring the department heads to budget by month, more thought would have to go into the process.  Second, a history would be acquired, helpful in future reviews of the budget .Third; redirection could take place sooner, as soon as each month is analyzed. Full benefit would take some time, but would provide for a more accountable budget, and budget review process.

Revenue. It is easy to get more revenue: just tax more, and charge more fees. But that doesn’t improve the situation. Three thoughts: 1), expedite the booting process. This only affects those that fail to pay their car taxes. The city has shown some leniency, but there are many, many, more out there. 2) If it is against the law to have an out of state registered vehicle past a certain time frame, enforce that law. Again, only affects those in violation of the law. There are many, many out of state vehicles out there. 3) Work with the mayor and the legislators to address the issue that would preclude a vehicle can being sold, or traded in, with taxes that are due not being paid. In reality those taxes are lost forever. There should be some way to prevent this: the state should want to help develop a system to prevent this from happening.  In reality, without booting, one could avoid paying taxes indefinitely. Results might take some time, but even the start of a system would result in some payments. This would affect all municipalities, and would only affect those in arrears.

Fourth: surrounding towns are reporting that they are taking in thousands of dollars per month in Blight Penalties.   There is way too much blight in Bristol. By setting stiff penalties and enforcing these penalties, Bristol could take in significant revenue, AND clean up the city. Not a long term solution, but will help in the short term on both revenue and improving the city.

As I said earlier there are other ways to increase revenue, but in most cases, it is just another form of taxation. Cost cutting and efficiencies should be looked at first. And you might get some interesting and workable ideas if you would get the public involved AND spend some time listening to the workers. I know that they have mentioned many ideas to me.

I’ll list a number of possibilities, none with major savings, but none that will lay people off. They may result in reduced staff needs over time. But all savings add up while efforts are made to implement those that have bigger ramifications.

1.       Bi weekly paychecks

2.        Direct deposit of paychecks

3.       3.turn off one set of street lights on N. Main Street

4.       Eliminate or at least reduce use of aerator on Boulevard, and any other location.

5.       Reduce number of extraneous committees, to eliminate need for staff overtime

6.       Reinstitute study to combine City building maintenance, started 5 years ago, and halted. Study may still be available.

7.       Review the street sweeping program. We no longer sand, so streets are not as dirty. Maybe a smaller sweeper might be less expensive and still the job. Also, do all streets have to be swept?

8.       Review cash flow process. Do we deposit so as to get the maximum return?

9.       Review Purchasing policy. Could we do better in any way? Are there adequate controls and reviews?

10.   Require 5-7 year analysis of all new expenditures/projects. Will the city be committed to maintain, repair etc.?

11.    Review Investment policies. Are we getting maximum return?

12.    Look at the planned and or guaranteed overtime.  While this item must be negotiated, there are opportunities for reductions.

13.    Consolidate Emergency Management and The Hazardous Waste position under Police and Fire. Would reduce cost and provide a better service.

14.   Look at elimination of Perfect Attendance rewards.

15.   Eliminate any rental of space by the city, wherever possible.

I know that many of these are minor, but if implemented, would add to a significant amount.

I agree that larger savings are needed, but in most cases, will take time. Any implementation of savings, when made known, will help create a positive attitude among the citizens, and will probably provide more positive suggestions.

There are many others, some which will require negotiations.  The bargaining units have to be included in the process and will certainly consider giving up some of the fluff benefits. Get them involved in the process.

Lastly, I would again point out that virtually all spending decisions are made by you the city officials, elected and appointed, and that most decisions have a budgetary impact beyond the immediate year. That seems to be forgotten, but it does create ongoing costs which have to be met.

I may come up with some additional thoughts, as ideas come from many people during conversations. I will pass them on, for as a taxpayer, as someone who has a great appreciation for what Bristol is, and one who has been involved for many years, I do want to see this effort move forward. We cannot afford not to be successful: our future and the future of our children depend on it.

The first meeting of the city's new budget task force is at 5:15 p.m. today in the City Council chambers on the first floor of City Hall.
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Photos from Bristol's Inauguration

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz: 'The worst is yet to come'

A letter from former Mayor William Stortz:

We read and hear where Bristol, and other municipalities, continue to experience difficult financial times. And as I have said before, the worst is yet to come. Bristol, like other cities has to make cuts and raise taxes, to be able to balance the budget and still provide services. In reality, if the problem was addressed at the outset, things would not be this dire.

Following my last letter commenting on the fiscal situation, which included some suggestions on cost cutting and revenue enhancement, I received many additional ideas from city employees and non-city employees alike. The people are interested, and have some interesting ideas and observations. Some, but not all, are included in this letter.

But the key concept is that Bristolites, if encouraged and taken seriously, are willing to help. And City employees, considered by some to be part of the problem, can very well and should be, part of the solution.

Some of the ideas may not be doable, but the point is that people are thinking and want to help. Suggestions include: look at the high and increasing cost of outside Attorneys. Look at the city’s effort for sidewalk snow removal: why multiple departments, and should the routes be re-evaluated. Review the way workers are scheduled and utilized during snowstorms. Many people thought that the snow removal process should be looked at. Again, duplicate streetlights, especially North Main Street were mentioned. Lack of coordination between Departments with same or similar functions. A number of out of state registrations were seen in employee parking lots, let alone throughout the city. Cash flow and other procedures were mentioned. Some suggested going back to a 40-hour week to reduce OT and also to reduce staff and equipment needs over time. Early Retirement combined with flexibility for City to reassign staff. Combine Departments where feasible. Why do some supervisors get ½ automatic OT each day? Why get up to 5 days/yr off for good attendance?

There were many others, and hopefully there will be an effort to solicit ideas from those possibly willing to come forward. The situation is dire, and will be for some time. Besides the actual deficits, a Virtual deficit has been created: we are years behind on road maintenance, equipment maintenance and replacement are lagging, a number of millions have been taken from the Fund Balance, other infrastructure needs attention and money.

Once the budget is set, the BOF has done their job. Then it is up to management to live within that budget AND for management to try to make those changes that result in cost savings and revenue enhancement.

The State will be floundering for some time. The City should not count on increased support from them. The City must work to control it’s own destiny. These efforts should be year long, not be thought about at Budget time. Management must step up be proactive, and get as many people as possible involved. That can only result in more and different ideas.

As I said before, Bristol is a good city, with many good people. Working together, we can work our way through this and come out of it even better prepared for the long term.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz: Let's do downtown right

Former Mayor William Stortz just sent this email to the head of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., Frank Johnson:

Hopefully the council will approve the tentative developer on Tuesday, and then the ball is back in your (BDDC) court. While both developers could do the job, I think you made the right choice. However, the ultimate results are now up to the city. We control, or should control, what happens from here on.

As I said at the workshop, I support the idea of housing DOWNTOWN. The easiest way to get people DOWNTON is to have some of them live there. Jane Jacobs said, “People are downtown”. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they all live on the mall site.

A few questions, food for thought. How can, how does the city propose to assure that there will be no subsidized or low-income housing on the site? As you may recall, many of the comments made last week revolved around the housing issues, on the Hill, in the West End, etc. I realize that those are outside the scope of the BDDC, but the mall site isn’t, at least at this time. As I talk with many people, that is one of the biggest concerns, for those possibly interested in moving DOWNTOWN, as well as other people in the city.

If there are large numbers of housing units on the site, how much space will be left to provide the amenities: services, businesses etc that the people living downtown want and expect? Logically, there should be some concentration of those so that if people walk 1,2, 3 blocks to get downtown, most of what they want will right there. On the other hand, people will probably not want to walk to 4,5.6 other sites to meet their needs.

Also, while economic times are bad, they will improve: how does the BDDC plan to address realistic construction and completion schedules?

I realize that we are dealing with a concept for the mall site at this time. Maybe the City should be looking at a concept for DOWNTOWN, which would support and supplement what could be done on the mall site. Done at the same time, working together with the developer might make for a win-win situation. The role of the BDDC is limited, at this time. Maybe it could be expanded, or maybe the city could step up. Maybe even the developer might provide some support with this effort. I have included as a P.S., a letter I sent to the mayor and the Chamber some months ago.

Next, Parking. While a study may be in the works, I find it hard to see how one can be done without some reasonable idea as to what is going on the site and DOWNTOWN. Hopefully it will address the potential of the whole DOWNTOWN area. People will only walk just so far and safety and security are major concerns. Will this be the city’s responsibility, the responsibility of the developer, or logically, some combination of the two? Other nearby sites might be considered as they become, or are made, available, to compliment the whole picture.

Lastly, as the BDDC goes forward with workshops and public hearings, I would ask that they make the conditions for those that want to speak, a little more comfortable. At the last workshop, the acoustics were poor and less than comfortable for those that chose to take part.

Frank, like many others, I have followed the saga of Bristol’s DOWNTOWN for a number of years. Did some research, talked and listened to many people. I am excited, as many others are too, that we might be gong forward in creating a better Bristol. But as I indicated, there are concerns that do exist. I am confident that collectively we will do everything that can be done to do what is right for Bristol.

We deserve it.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz suggests a downtown manager

Letter sent this week by former Mayor William Stortz:

The Honorable Art Ward
Mayor, City of Bristol

Mr. Michael Nicastro
President and CEO
Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce.

With all the things that are happening or could be happening, maybe it is time for the city to consider an idea suggested some time back, the idea of a “Downtown Manager”.
There are many groups that have a vested interest in seeing something done in the Downtown area as well as on sites that affect the growth of Downtown, such as the BDDC, BDA, Chamber, Board of Education, the City itself, Private
Developers, and the State among others, but there does not seem to be a focal point, a single source that is coordinating all the efforts, providing communication between various groups, being an advocate for downtown, and developing an inventory of options to be considered.
We have a golden opportunity to make things happen, good things for Bristol, and it is critical that we maximize our efforts, and therefore our results. At the same time we must utilize our resources in the best way possible so as to reduce the burden on the taxpayer.
Maybe this can be a short term function, maybe the Chamber and the City can combine resources to provide for it, not unlike what was attempted awhile back relative to attracting restaurants. But this is even bigger and much much more critical.
For example, one of the proposals talks about a parking garage, while at the same time, parking has been mentioned by others for the site adjacent to the Board of Education and some others mention the possibly for the Family Center site, and there is talk about a downtown parking study. Who is coordinating this?
Is anyone taking the initiative to address the Summer Street issue relative to downtown development?
With all the talk about Rail Service, is anyone addressing the idea of local transportation to support it and to get people downtown to the station? Who
is/should be responsible for getting the ball rolling so that if Rail Service becomes a likelihood, we can make sure that we have or will provide local transit for people to get to the Rail Station and to Downtown.
Is there any coordination of the use of buildings as they become available i.e. Bingham School, the Armory, the Family Center and others? There are others that might become available as one entity moves out into something else
Any developer, and others who might want to build or start a business in the downtown area should have ONE place to go to get started. The businesses that are downtown should have a go to person with their concerns, their issues and for help if needed.
As we develop the old Mall Site, who is making sure that the various groups that have a vested interested are kept in the loop? Police, Fire, Public Works will be affected: who will be their contact? Other city committees, commissions have a role to play. Transportation, Handicapped are two that come to mind quickly.
On the other side, is anyone responsible for working with the Board of Education to make their timetable for Bingham, O’Connell and the Boulevard known to various potential players?
At some point in time BDDC will either have their role expanded, or they will be phased out. If they are phased out, who will pick up their role?
Who is/will be responsible to pursue subsequent use of Memorial Boulevard, possibly as an adjunct, all or in part, with Tunxis Community College?
Who will work with businesses as Route 72 filters traffic to the downtown area, including Riverside Ave? This position could also assist in promoting the Forestville section as Route 72 is completed.
None of these ideas are really new, and actually there are many other things that are or might be happening that need assistance, coordination, and marketing.
That is another potential aspect of a Downtown Manager, someone to market our overall development, to make potential businesses and developer aware in a proactive fashion, and be available to guide them as they pursue these options.
Bristol has a lot to offer, but we are woefully lacking in marketing the good side of Bristol, not just in the physical sites and buildings. I am proud of Bristol, I know you are too. Why aren’t we telling the world?
A Downtown Manger would be helpful in keeping the area clean, the area safe.
A Downtown manager would be an advocate for the overall development of Downtown, assuring that all actions work towards that goal, an active and
vibrant Downtown. Certainly paying attention to any changes, making sure
that they are Pedestrian friendly is needed. Making sure that citizens concerns and interest are heard is vital: a singular contact point would be helpful.
There is much that could be done with a coordinated effort, there is much that could be done to better take care of the opportunities in front of us.
Having followed the downtown effort over the years, from various perspectives, I have seen and heard many good ideas from many people. This is just one of them.
I know that this letter is somewhat lengthy and rambling, but there is so much that this concept could accomplish. I could go on, but if you would like and could provide more information and backup if either of you are interested.
I know both of you are committed to Bristol, a better and growing Bristol and will try to do what the things that are right. Hopefully this concept is one of them.
Sincerely,
William T. Stortz

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz seeks road name changes

A note from former Mayor William Stortz to Mayor Art Ward and Mike Nicastro, head of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce:

Mayor, Mike,

Long ago, it was proposed that the Route 72 addition be named in honor of Bart Banes, a big suporter of the project. Supposedly, Representative Michell addressd this at the state level.

More recently, I suggested that some part of the road near Lake Compounce be named in honor of Stretch Norton.

I am writing to ask that you make sure that these efforts go forward. Certainly the city and its officials will play a key role, and the Chamber certainly can help bring these efforts to fruition.

Anything I can do to help, let me know.

Thanks,

William T. Stortz

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz asking people if they'd back him?

Heard a few stories today about former Mayor William Stortz poking around about the possibility of running for mayor again. But I can't say if they're right or not.
And it could be he's actually eyeing a City Council race.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

So, is it Stortz?

The Republicans pick their municipal candidates on July 23 - only eight days from now. So far, they have no mayoral contender to take on Democrat Art Ward.
Everywhere I go, people ask about whom the GOP might tap to run. The only name that comes up time and again is William Stortz, who has won two mayoral races and lost just one, serving most recently from 2005 until 2007, when he voluntarily stepped down. He also held the post from the time John Leone quit as mayor to go run the chamber of commerce until Frank Nicastro led a Democratic landslide in 1993 that left the GOP reeling for a decade.
The Republicans, it must be admitted, aren't too crazy about Stortz. Some of them positively loathe him. But Stortz is the only Republican in the past quarter century to win the mayor's office - and he did it twice.
Sure, some of the other candidates were hopeless longshots, but some pretty good candidates have tried, too, and come up short, including Mike Werner's bid for a comeback in 1999, Whit Betts' run in 1995 and Ken Johnson's narrow loss two years ago.
It's hard to see why the party can't even find a candidate this year, at least since Johnson pulled the plug on his nascent campaign.
So Stortz may be the one. And the Democrats might wish, in the end, that it was someone else.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz urges quick action on budget

Letter from former Mayor William Stortz:

Now that he city has agreed on a budget, and emotions and personal agenda can be put aside, the city should start, TODAY, looking at what has to be done to address the financial issues the city is facing.

While the international and national situation aspects are out of our control, there are many things that we here in Bristol can control, do control, and should do something about ASAP.

No matter how and when the economy improves, and it will, the city has dug themselves into a financial hole. Working to freeze local taxes is a nice goal, and certainly influenced by local election cycles, but sometimes it is not realistic. Since it was done, we must go from where we are and bite the bullet.

This year the city opted to draw 2.5 million (actually the budget in the paper said (2.895 million) down from the fund balance, to balance the budget. While it may not all be used during the coming year, it is being “encumbered”, and therefore not available. What hasn’t been mentioned is that the fund balance at the end of 2007 was $17,319,000, and at the end of 2008 it was $15, 435,000, a reduction of 10.9%. Calculating the now draw down of $2,500,000, the Fund Balance will have been reduced at least over 25% since 2007. I say at least 25%, because if there is a deficit this year, that will probably be made up from the fund balance. These numbers are based on the assumption that nothing has been drawn down already for the current years budget. It would be nice to know where we really stand in that account.

The question now is, how and will this continued use of Fund Balance affect out bond rating, even if we don’t draw down more in the near future?

A recent article in the media indicated that our neighbor, Southington, who will be bonding 15 million in the near future, estimates that they will be saving $750,000 in interest payment because they opted not to tap their fund balance. With the likelihood of bonding for schools, how much might our use of the fund balance cost us over the years? At the same time, any reduction in the Fund Balance reduces our opportunity for investment income, one of our Revenue sources (which has already dropped considerably)

Other steps taken this time to reach a zero tax increase may not be available next year. How long can wages be frozen? Or clothing allowance not awarded? How long can the city do half a job with road maintenance by keeping the budget low? What happens if the State does close the Court House ($140,000 as revenue in the city budget)?

With fewer new cars being bought, that area of property tax will probably shrink more than it has already. Another reduction in Revenue.

The use of Fund Balance money in the recently approved budget, which will be hard to do next year, will have to be made up somehow. Police cars will have to be replaced, as will other equipment. It appears that many accounts that have been used to balance expenses year by year, were tapped, again to reach a zero tax increase. If so, they won’t be available next year, thereby compounding the problem. One also has to question just how conservative some of the revenue projections really were.

Real reductions will have to be made. The Board of Finance says that they will start in August working on next years budget, which is good to hear.

But, WHY WAIT to start effecting changes? Also, the role of the Board of Finance is limited, outside the budget process. It really is up to the Mayor and the City Council to change the way the city operates. With the next council having at least two new members, we should maximize and utilize the many years of experience of the departing councilmen. The Mayor and Council should start now, soliciting ideas, BIG and SMALL, and implement them as soon as possible. These ideas can come from staff, bargaining units, the public. All ideas should be welcome; all should be carefully reviewed and if workable, implemented as soon as possible. One quick suggestion is that budget activity and status be made more transparent, on a monthly basis.

If significant changes aren’t made to address the hole that has been dug, and to address the impact of new and increasing costs, the impact on the taxpayer next year will be huge. Use of one time gimmickry should be avoided for that only makes things painful longer, as we all know. We must insist on real, ongoing savings to keep Bristol financially stable. 

The city was given a heads up at the beginning of the fiscal downturn back in September/October 2007and apparently did very little about it. I don’t think we can wait any longer without seriously impacting the city and its people.

Bristol is a great city, it has wonderful people, and I am sure that they are willing to help, and would understand if some tough decisions have to be made. It is too late to go back, we can and must go forward.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Krawiecki, Cockayne, Stortz among possible GOP mayoral candidates

At least five men are eyeing the possibility of running for mayor on the Republican ticket this year, including a former state House minority leaders, a former mayor and one of the party’s two city councilors.

The chairman of Bristol’s GOP, T.J. Barnes, said Friday that he has been talking with potential contenders for awhile after getting word that Ken Johnson might drop out of the race.

Johnson told the Republican Town Committee on Monday that he could not run this year, as he expected, because of personal reasons. That left the party without a standard bearer for this year’s face-off with first-term Democrat Art Ward, who is seeking reelection.

Barnes said that among those who are weighing a run against Ward are former state House Minority Leader Edward Krawiecki, Jr, city Councilor Ken Cockayne, unsuccessful council contender Joe Geladino and Lenny LaMothe, a park department employee. Others are also considering it, Barnes said.

“We’ll probably have a mayoral candidate out there in the next month or so,” Barnes said.

Former Mayor William Stortz, who held office in the early 1990s and again from 2005 to 2007, may also be weighing a run.

“If Bill wants to run for mayor, he knows the process,” Barnes said. “If he wants to, he can throw his hat in the ring”

Asked Friday if he planned to run again for the city’s top job, Stortz laughed, as he has before when questioned.

“Always smiling,” Stortz added, content to leave the issue up in the air.

Ward said he fully expects to face a Republican challenger this year.

“I’d be very, very surprised if they didn’t have a candidate,” Ward said, adding the political system requires that voters have a choice.

Barnes said he anticipates his party will have a full slate of City Council candidates this time around.

He said that “a lot of unsolicited people” are talking to him about potential campaigns. They hail from all three council districts, Barnes said.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Bill Stortz is still smiling

So I asked former Mayor William Stortz this morning if he might run for the city's top job again.

Stortz just sort of laughed, which was odd since he was going to the dentist. I would never laugh on my way to the dentist.

Anyway, I pointed out to him that he just laughs when I ask him about running.

"Always smiling," he responded, then scooted off to the dentist.

Stortz, a Republican, was mayor in the early 1990s and again from 2005 to 2007, when he stepped down rather than seek reelection.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz offers budget suggestions

Letter from former Mayor William Stortz:

Bristol, like most other cities, and most states, is facing a difficult budgetary process.
While expenses generally increase, the current process is made more difficult by the overall economic situation, resulting in reduced revenues in various areas.
With that in mind, adjustments have to be made in order to mitigate a possible tax increase, especially one of any magnitude. But the budget has to be a responsible one, assuring that basic services are still met, and that the burden is not just shifted to the future. While the city may tap into the “Rainy Day Fund”, that cannot go on year by year, and plans must be put in place to replenish it.
The Mayor has indicated that he does not support layoffs, which limits the potential for savings.
Therefore the city must look to savings in other areas. There is no silver bullet, savings must be achieved in whatever amounts are possible.
If the city has done any cost cutting, it doesn’t seem to have been made public. With that in mind, I am offering just a few suggestions which hopefully will be considered, and maybe bring about additional ideas.
Reduce the street lighting on the far end of James p. Casey Road, and eliminate one set of streetlights on North Main Street. Evaluate all light timers at parks and elsewhere to ascertain that they are functioning in the most effective manner.
Eliminate the part time LEPC position, put it in the Fire Department. Eliminate the Emergency Management position, put it in the Police Department. Would save money and provide continuity.
Review Cash flow to maximize investment return. Go to bi-weekly paychecks to reduce administrative costs and possibly enhance investment opportunities.
Follow up on the plan to combine facility management into one department, saving labor, equipment, and also becoming more efficient.
Review all unfilled positions, especially those unfilled for 2 months or more and have the need justified before they are filled.
Accelerate the effort to insure that vehicles registered out of state, but owned and operated by Bristol residents, in violation of the law, are registered in Connecticut, so that Bristol gets the tax dollars.
Ask employees to defer their July 1 increase for 2, 4, or 6 months. I would think that there could be a way to address any concern as to those retiring in the next few years.
Have a public hearing(s) where the public could offer their suggestions, AND also provide an online method where the public could also submit ideas.
Form an Efficiency Committee, preferably of private citizens, to come up with and review potential ideas for savings, including reconsidering those submitted previously.
Ideas that were not accepted previously, including when I was mayor, might be more acceptable under current conditions. And, I have many other ideas I can submit.
While some, or even all, of these ideas might not make up any shortfall, most are not just one-time savings, and they would be a start. And who knows what ideas might be submitted by the public?
We are all in this together; together we can make it 

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz raises GASB 45 issue

Email sent from former Mayor William Stortz to city officials yesterday:

Dear Mayor Ward,

From what I hear, the GASB 45 Issue is not dead, at least yet, supposedly the Council can and will vote on it.

I know that many people still have questions, and while some answers may have been given, the information has not been widely or adequately disseminated, and in some cases is still being questioned.

I would like to suggest, like to ask, that the city make this issue part of their Web Site, until it is resolved or closed. I would like to see the public have the opportunity to ask questions, have them posted, along with answers. This way the questions will be public and the answers documented for all to see.

Perhaps the questions could be submitted on line and be filtered through your office so as to eliminate the extraneous and irrelevant or self-serving ones, and maybe some questions can even be combined. You, your office, would assign the questions to the appropriate department, who would provide your office with responses to be posted. That way you, and the council would also be aware of the public interest and concerns.

There may be variations to this that might make it more effective, but providing for a forum for questions, AND answers, may help bring this issue to a successful conclusion. Since it could amount to a possible half mill impact, I am sure that the public would have a real interest. By making the public more a part of the process, prompt closure might be achieved.

Hopefully you will consider this, and implement it, or at least some version of it.

As usual, I will try to answer any questions, and expand on this if you are interested.

Sincerely

William T. Stortz

PS: Bill, you should include me on these things!

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Ken Johnson is running for mayor again

As he promised on Election Night in 2007, after losing to Democrat Art Ward, Ken Johnson is aiming for a rematch this time around.

Johnson told the Republican Town Committee last night that he is going to run for mayor this year.

The GOP's town chairman, T.J. Barnes, said today that Johnson is "a great candidate. He does do the work."

"He gave Art Ward a pretty good run for his money the last time around," Barnes said, and could win this year.

I have a call in to Johnson so there will be more later.

Ward is almost certainly running for re-election but hasn't formally announced any plans.

It's not clear if Johnson will face any opposition from within his own party.

City Councilor Mike Rimcoski, a Republican, said he wouldn't be surprised if former Mayor William Stortz also runs for mayor this year.

Stortz just kind of smiled at me when I asked him about that a couple of weeks ago, then he changed the subject. I'll ask him again, though.

Update: Johnson and I swapped phone calls, missing each other so far, but he did send along via email a statement about why he's running again:

I spoke during the '07 municipal campaign about the need for the Bristol Republican Party to become 'relevant.' We needed to provide people with a reason to come to the polls so the Democratic Party didn't have defacto appointment power. We sought to give people the opportunity to have a say in their local government. I think we made significant strides towards relevance in '07 with the re-election of Mike Rimkowski and the election of a new councilman, Ken Cockayne. And I like to think I ran a spirited campaign and gave Artie Ward a scare he could not have anticipated from a 'no-name' candidate.
As Bristol Republicans, our charge now is to pick up where we left off in '07 and bring it to the next level. It is 2009 and nothing has changed. Bristol still needs leaders who possess vision and recognize their responsibility to the taxpaying citizens.  Running in '07 was a very enjoyable experience for me and I am energized to lead the ticket again in 2009. Therefore, I announced my intention to seek election and serve as your next mayor.
I am running because I intend to win. We are going to get back to basics: the Republican Party will speak for the taxpayers of Bristol and hold our government accountable for the spending of our money. My ticket will be running as a team, committed in writing to a common set of core principles. We will run a full slate and a strong slate of council candidates - I believe the strongest slate the Republican Party has fielded in many years. I am committed to victory and a clean Republican sweep in November. My one promise is this- when you get involved with my campaign,you'll have fun, a great experience and get to be part of a winning team.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

'Every little bit helps'

A letter to the editor from former Mayor William Stortz:

Stortz wrote:

I apologize for the length, but in reality the economy is a critical issue for Bristol and hopefully action will be taken to alleviate the situation. Bristol couldn’t/can’t stop the global and national recession, but it CAN and MUST take action to mitigate the local impact. 

Clearly, there has been an impact on this years budget, and will impact next years also. The question is, just how much is that impact. The public deserves to know, in meaningful numbers, publicly and promptly.
Even though the mayor indicates that there won’t be any layoffs, many other steps are possible.
The longer we wait the worse the impact we will be facing.

Letter to the Editor,

The Global Financial Crisis has traveled from the International Arena, to Wall Street, to Main Street, and now to North Main Street here in Bristol.

I understand that the mayor has started to take some steps in addressing the situation, trying to reduce expenditures, and I commend him for that. I just wonder why it has taken him so long.

Last year, in August 2007, when the Sub-Prime problem surfaced, as Mayor, I asked certain Department heads for their input as to the possible impact on Bristol, especially the Revenue side.

I said, in part, “ The issue of sub prime mortgages, and resulting foreclosures, the acting of the Federal Reserve Board and interest rate changes, the rising price of oil, among other things, can all affect our budget, the current one, and next year’s also”. 

I pointed out a few areas that might be of concern: Interest Income, Conveyance Tax Revenue, Tax Collections, especially vehicle taxes, rising price of Fuel Oil and Heating Oil. As part of the concern, I mentioned the fact that our daily “surplus” might be lower could also reduce interest income. 

Other areas of possible impact were Building permits, and opportunities for state revenues.

At that time the impact had not been felt, which was the basic response from the department heads. But it should have been a “heads up”.

I concluded my letter to the Board of Finance and City Council suggesting that the situation was more problematical than it was 6-8 months previous, and that it will not recover overnight. I suggested that steps be taken early on to reduce the need for drastic steps in the future. 

For those that follow the overall economic situation, or should, there were many signs indicating possible problems on the horizon. Energy costs, the weakening of the dollar, foreign involvement were items of concern. Nationally, personal debt was increasing, the spread between income levels was increasing, and there were questions being asked as to the reliability of some of the economic figures that were being used. Reduced housing sales and prices were looked at as a possible sign of things to come.

Looking at ways to reduce costs is always good, but with those ominous signs, efforts should have been initiated and implemented promptly. Even small savings over a period of time are better than forced drastic ones in critical times. The question leads to “What are we doing to address this situation, are we doing enough”?

The question now is, do we know if we are facing a deficit this fiscal year. And if so, how much? If we don’t know, why not? If we are facing a deficit, how much do we have to make up? 

There are many other areas that should be evaluated also such as monitoring by Police and Fire of abandoned and foreclosed houses for break-ins and thievery, and a possible increased crime rate The likelihood of a reduction in the Grand list of motor vehicles, due to the purchasing a fewer new vehicles and of smaller vehicles. We know that he state is in trouble and that will affect state assistance to some degree.

While very little of the national and international economic impact is controllable at the local level, knowing how much and how we might be affected will better enable us to address the impact. If the public was to be informed of any shortfall, and of any need for reductions in the coming budget, they would certainly be more cooperative and understanding. But they must be made aware of the facts. 

At the same time, they might have some ideas for savings that are not apparent to those close to the action. I’m sure that others have offered willingness to help: has the mayor accepted any of the offers? I am sure we all have some possible suggestions to help us through these tough times. Bristol is our city, and I am sure we are all willing to help.

Other cities are taking some drastic action. Maybe we don’t have to be as drastic, but every little bit helps, and having a better and specific report on our situation will help all of us to better accept what has to be done.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Stortz weighs in on budget and the economy

Former Mayor Bill Stortz posted this comment on a thread that many might miss so I'm reposting it here:

It is somewhat surprising AND disappointing that it has taken this long for the city to point out that we are in a tough economic situation here in Bristol. Also, it is disappointing that we are not given a clearer picture of where we are and what potentially lies ahead. 

The city was given an early on warning that the economic situation was at best questionable and should be monitored.

In October 2007 (yes, over a year ago), after getting feedback that I requested from several department heads, as Mayor, I sent a memo to the Board of 
Finance and the then City Council, suggesting that things did not look good, and steps should be considered that would hopefully minimize the need for more drastic steps at a later date.

Her is a copy of that letter.

To: Board of Finance
From: William T. Stortz
Date: October 23, 2007

Sub: Budget concerns

As you are aware, there has been some interesting activity in the economy in recent weeks.

The issue of sub prime mortgages, and resulting foreclosures, the acting of the Federal Reserve Board and interest rate changes, the rising price of oil, all can affect our budget, the current one and next year’s also. 

With that in mind, I have asked some departments to document their thoughts in this regard. Granted theses are somewhat subjective, and they were not asked to do extensive research, but only to provide some basic thoughts and awareness. 

I have included these reports for your review and consideration.

Keep in mind that some costs have increased, and we will be over budget because of that. Fuel oil and heating oil are good examples. This could cut into our contingency account, or at least affect these departments that budget for fuel and./or heating fuel.

While the conveyance tax make still make budget, keep in mind that the past years showed a surplus in this account, which affects other items that were over budget.

Also, last years interest income exceeded budget. This was taken into consideration in developing the budget, but with interest rate changes, this account could be affected even more. This account also was over budget last year and provided us with a buffer also; we may draw down money short term to meet Mall needs which could reduce interest even more.

Tax collection also might be affected.

Due to the efforts of the Tax Collector, over the past few years we have realized increased results in back tax collection.

Because of this, the amount left to be collected has been reduced, and has become more difficult.

At the same time, current foreclosures might delay some collection to subsequent budget years.

We will virtually always get our money, but the back tax amount may increase for the short term.

Vehicle tax collection may also be affected. In some cases we may lose the taxes altogether, as vehicle tax collection is difficult if cars are not reregistered.

While the situation is not dire yet, it is more problematical than it was 6-8 months ago, and there is no consensus that it will recover overnight.

Now is the time to take these factors into consideration, and see what can be done to evaluate the impact, as well as to see where current expenditures can be reduced or better controlled. Small changes made early on can educe the need for drastic changes in the latter part of the budget year.

cc City council

Encl.

(End of letter)

I am aware that that some steps are now being taken. Based on what I have read, I wonder if they are/and will be enough to avoid a huge tax increase or drastic cuts in service. Certainly there are many ideas that people, including myself, have that might help, and I did offer, and it would behoove this administration to take advantage of those resources so that we experience minimal impact.

Bristol is a good city, with good people, and working together, we can and will work through this situation. But it will best done utilizing the efforts and help of many, not just a few. 

I have submitted a follow up letter to the media, but it is equally lengthy and probably will not get printed. If so, it will be submitted to this blog.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

No answers for Stortz

Richard Lacey, an assistant city attorney, said the city can't answer the chief operating officer questions posed by former Mayor William Stortz.
Lacey said that state law requires "strict neutrality" by city officials on referendum questions.
Municipal employees "cannot take any official action" related to the issue, he said, or they could face fines up to $1,000 and other penalties.
So it's up to supporters of the COO to respond to Stortz, if anyone does.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com