Do you remember in the not too distant past when the taxpayers of Connecticut bailed out the City of Hartford to prevent bankruptcy? That was supposed to be a fresh start for the City of Hartford to get itself back on a solid fiscal standing.
That fresh start never happened.
The Hartford City Council has been derelict in their performance and has probably done more to move Hartford toward bankruptcy than any possible solvency.
Along that path, the brain trust at the Hartford City Council decided they couldn't trust the Office of the Corporation Counsel, as provided by the Hartford City Charter.
Instead, the Council President and her minions (less 3 dissenting votes ) chose to hire an outside attorney at additional , unneeded, expense. The less three are Councilpersons Josh Michtom, Wildaliz Bermudez and John Gale who actually did not support the hiring. Michtom even goes so far as not taking his salary as a Councilman. Michtom';s real job is with the Connecticut Court system as a Public Defender and his ethical standards preclude him from taking the salary. Isn't that refreshing, ethics actually in play by an attorney.
Rather than rehash all of the details here are two of Rebecca Lurye's stories from the Hartford Courant, https://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-news-hartford-kennelly-council-advice-20210206-5tjngu67v5czjgzsimwwtvapvm-story.html , and here https://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-news-hartford-council-member-questions-attorney-hire-20210301-cvm6v6kc4vfrzbjzpcw2d2etzi-story.html
There are many troubling aspects of this hiring of Attorney John Kennelly not the least being the political stink of corruption which apparently Hartford's Democrats and Council President Maly Rosado can't smell. Kennelly currently sits on the First District Hartford Democratic Town Committee which is one of the first steps in the approval process for anyone wishing to move into Hartford's politics. Anyone opposing Kennelly and falling out of favor would most likely have a difficult time when it comes to re-election or nominations.The three votes opposing Kennelly's appointment are two Working Families Party members and the shunned Democrat who was forced to form his own party to run, John Gale. WFP members are seperate from Hartford Democratic Town Committee influence
I think one of the most troubling aspects of Kennelly's hiring is that Kennelly refused to provide requested information to Michtom and others on what Michtom felt might have been apparently questionable billing. Kennelly apparently refused to provide the information to Michtom claiming "attorney client privilege". Maybe it is time for a remedial course in law school for Mr. Kennelly. Isn't Council Michtom and any other Councilmember asking questions actually the "CLIENT".
What is Mr. Kennelly hiding and why can't he share information with the full City Council?
Something is dirty in Hartford City Hall and for once it is not emanating from the Office of Mayor Luke Bronin.
End the political corruption and hire a real attorney when the Hartford City Council needs advice. One without the blemishes and warts on their legal reputation.