With the almost assured threat of a complete state takeover of city financial concerns, and a No Confidence vote by the City Council last week, Mayor Nancy N. Rossi faces the most difficult time in her tenure, with calls for her resignation coming from the city’s Republican Town Committee and some other quarters.
The mayor has been facing a rising tide of criticism since the publication of the CohnReznick audit of federal COVID fund expenditures under the CARES Act. Some of those expenditures were under question previously, but the conclusions of the auditors have rekindled those concerns.
Last week, the Municipal Accountability Review Board voted to recommend to Gov. Ned Lamont the city be put under Tier IV status, meaning an almost-complete takeover of the city’s financial matters. Under the current legislation, the governor must wait until a 30-day comment period is completed, and then will determine whether or not to follow the recommendation. It is believed his OK is a certainly.
Once that happens, it will be the second time in 30 years this the city has been put into a type of receivership by the state, the last time being 1991-1994, when then-Mayor H. Richard Borer, Jr. asked the state for $35 million to cover shortfalls in an underfunded budget by his predecessor Clemente Evangeliste.
This new set of restrictions follow a similar pattern to those the city was under during that time period, and can include restructuring of city labor contracts, as well as overseeing the city’s operations procedures, and implementing reforms.
Rossi came under new fire last week when she failed to appear at the regular City Council meeting, the first after the volatile audit was published. Saying she had made a previous commitment to go to a seminar, she was chastised by a packed crowd in the Harriet North Meeting Room for her absence.
The Republican Town Committee has called for her resignation (see Letters page 7), and others have questioned her ability to withstand the criticism. It was at this meeting the council voted unanimously a resolution of No Confidence.
With all this happening, several City Council members were asked about the vote, and way forward for the city. Of the councilors of both parties sent questions only two responded.
First District Councilwoman Bridgette Hoskie says she still retains support in the mayor, and believes the vote of No Confidence will work to strengthen the chief executive’s resolve.
“Mayor Rossi is going to stand up straighter and be far stronger than she ever was. I’m positive she will take all that has happened, and the No confidence vote to heart,” Hoskie said. “She will work collaboratively with her new personnel to right the ship. I believe in her because those men chose to come here in WH darkest hour under her leadership. They had to see something in her that warranted that leap which gives me hope.”
Her decision to go along with a vote of No Confidence, she said was listening to the concerns of her constituents.
“For me it was the voice of the residents who needed to know the council stood with them and supported them. They needed to hear we get it and we will do better. The no confidence vote reflects on all of WH as a whole. It was years in the making if not decades. Our residents are over the nonsense,” she said.
When the report\came out three weeks ago, there was criticism by some, including part-owner of this newspaper, Ken Carney, that the audit lacked documentation that was available to the auditors and would have changed some of the conclusions. Hoskie is aware of the complaints.
“In conversations I have had many are concerned that their documentation wasn’t turned in and no one called to have a discussion. For example, the FD it was stated documentation was submitted 3 times and again this week for a 4th. It would appear that the person charged with answering this audit did not do the due diligence. I refuse to believe that the Fire Chiefs in this city did not have the required documentation to prove WH firefighters were on the front lines during this pandemic. That in and of itself should show that we as a city and the MARB need to be concerned or ask questions of the findings. The audit implies a certain negative connotation which is unfortunate. I know WHFD worked day and night to fight this virus and risked their own lives to keep this city safe. It’s unsettling for sure,” she said.
Councilwoman Watt Hamilton (D-5). Was still mulling the ramifications of the vote, and the Tier IV status, but she continues to support the mayor.
“I will tell you that I stand by my vote of no confidence. At the same time, I am still supportive of Mayor Rossi and I want her to succeed because I want West Haven to succeed. My vote was a wake-up to the administration. The MARB has provided instructions to get West Haven on the right track. Our residents are speaking loudly and clearly, and we need to start listening to them. As I move forward, I will continue to do my best to protect our city’s residents and represent them well,” she said.