Civics Statements from Casual Conversations - City Council Address August 3, 2026 (John Marshall Lee)

I have previously called attention to members of the City Council who failed to register

with the Town Clerks office in January 2026. It’s not a new Ordinance having been

created by the City Council to deal with officials of the city, either elected or appointed,

who have an address outside of the community or district. Last week there were five

Council members with forms missing from the register. The BOE is an elected body of

nine members likewise responsible for registering annually. Only two have done so.

There are roughly 150 positions on Boards and Commissions who share this annual

obligation. Only Library Board members have signed up, likely because they are

unaware of this duty. So aside from the vacancies on Boards and Commissions, no one

in Bridgeport administration is attending to oversight and enforcement of the rule. Why

is that? Are Boards and Commissions important to operation of the city? Do individuals

know the why and the how of each Board and Commission on the City website? Have

you, as Council members and District leaders, looked at the website lately? Is this

listing accurate and the best that Bridgeport can offer to residents who pay taxes, and

wish to become active in public service? Doesn’t this have to do with CIVICS as I have

stressed for over 2 years?

Is it an error to indicate that the City Council is a Board or Commission? Is the School

Building Committee open to the public? Is the Charter Review Commission alive and

well or a group with a limited term? Last week there were 20 B&C listed with vacancies,

but further review showed Public Purchases, Police, Fire, WPCA, Walk of Honor, and

Civil Service do not have a vacancy, at this time. Misleading?

That leaves 13 B&C with a total of 46 vacancies to fill. What is the city doing about that?

Where is the administrative direction from the mayor to assign training, annual reviews,

and standards for each B&C? When you re-appoint B&C members as is on your

agenda this evening, what standards do you use? Where are those on the website?

What is the Citizens Union, otherwise not mentioned in the Charter or website, but used

to indicate resident participation in HUD CDBG funding? Is every district equal in that

oversight?

How will you deal with the subject of HOUSING? How did Fairness die? Or was it

assassinated by the withholding of volunteers trained and interested in public service?

What is the responsibility of each part of the governance structure to be aware of the

role of finding good citizens to volunteer, learn, and grow, as they serve their neighbors?

Is the result of allowing the status quo to happen without concern why we have such low

voting % of registered voters.

Time will tell.