BRIDGEPORT, CT.-September 19, 2005 It was the first time in 12 years that the Mayor of Bridgeport delivered his State of the City Address to the city’s legislative body, and not at a business luncheon.
“My administration is committed to transparent government.” Transparency has particular resonance in a community which has recently put behind itself a period of closed-door politics. Bridgeport’s last mayor, Joseph Ganim currently resides in prison, convicted on 16 federal charges of corruption. Bridgeport’s previous State Senator was also imprisoned for corruption. Mayor Fabrizi, who had worked for 24 years in Bridgeport’s school system, replaced Mayor Ganim in 2003, and was reelected after serving out Ganim’s term. A five-point plan comprised the body of the address, defining the priorities of the mayor’s administration. In order, the first four were: high ethical standards, a strong school system, a healthy housing market, and a City that is safe and clean. These four priorities would ensure the fifth element: economic development. Actual progress was reported in each of the five areas. Two components of the first priority, high ethical standards, were transparency and communication. To these the mayor expressed commitment, “not some of the time, but all of the time. Zero tolerance. No exceptions.” The mayor explained about the work of the Ethics Task Force, commissioned to ensure that, “there are no conflicts of interest influencing the City’s decision making process.” He announced the initiation of regularly scheduled community meetings at which the mayor and key department heads would directly respond to citizen’s concerns. The next session will be on October 6th at 5:30 PM at the Charles Smith Community Center. On the topic of the administration’s second priority, a strong school system, the mayor contested the constitutionality of the State’s school funding practices. He announced that Bridgeport has joined with other cities and interest groups in the State of CT, in a coalition called the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF), which will lobby and argue this case all the way to the courts, if necessary. Significant progress was reported in the efforts to build five to seven new schools by the end of 2008. Included in these plans is an attractive proposal merging the resources of The Discovery Museum, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Sacred Heart University, and General Electric, in the creation of an elementary and a high school whose curriculum would focus on science and technology. The high school a flag display for Hispanic Heritage Month preceded the Mayor’s address would include three distinct state-of-art “theme” schools, specializing in cutting edge fields such as Aerospace and Digital Communications. 95% of the funds for this particular effort would be paid for by the State, unlike other school construction efforts, which only are funded 80% by the State. The administration’s third priority, a healthy housing market, would be addressed by the building or rehabbing of 500 units of affordable housing and 1000 market rate units over the next two years. Initiatives to grant down payment loans and to encourage rehab sales were reintroduced, along with a “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness,” aiming to reduce the region’s 1300 homeless individuals. Non-revenue producing properties would be targeted for acquisition by the City. Other significant initiatives were reported. Addressing the administration’s fourth priority, a clean and safe city, the mayor outlined numerous initiatives and procedures. Major upgrades to MetroNorth, port security, the new, state-of-the-art railway/bus terminal, and other infrastructure improvements were announced. A committee to spearhead an improved relationship between police and citizens was introduced. A search for a new Chief of Police, with a demonstrable record of effective community policing is underway. A major anti-blight initiative will fine landowners $100 per day for unsightly conditions. 4,000 free fire alarms are to be installed in the residences of the City’s most vulnerable citizens. “Remaining diligent in these four areas,” explained Mayor Fabrizi, “sets the stage for success in economic development and growing our tax base.” A $76 million increase in taxable property was reported, putting Bridgeport’s overall growth ahead of the State average for the year. Aggressive tax collection methods and the resulting revenues were revealed. Numerous projects in private and non-profit investments were described, including a $16 million loan by Wachovia Bank, marking a “first major investment by an out of state national bank in Bridgeport; a definite sign that the financial community is gaining confidence in Bridgeport.” Finally, the mayor announced his intention to condemn the Steel Point peninsula, a site long at the center of a contentious community debate, as it is considered by officials to be, “one the most strategic locations in the largest city in the richest county in the wealthiest state in America.” (Business New Haven 3/19/01, Linda Mele).
The mayor invited all those with a “stake in Bridgeport’s success” to attend a community summit on Oct 15th, from 8-12:30 am at the Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Avenue, to hear and speak on the projects and programs the City is considering. The comprehensive analysis of the City of Bridgeport conducted by the Urban Land Institute, an urban planning authority will be reported. The report and a copy of the mayor’s State of the City Address are available on the City’s Web Site, www.ci.bridgeport.ct.us.
University of Bridgeport
Tuesday, July 15, 2025