Mayor Segarra has just released his veto resolution , striking down the Council's resolution restricting all overtime without Council Approval. the memo is below. It is unclear if the Council has the votes at this time to override the veto.
MAYOR
SEGARRA STATEMENT ON VETO OF
OVERTIME
AND HIRING FREEZES
--- NEWS AND
COMMUNITY STATEMENT---
(April 2, 2013) – Mayor Pedro E. Segarra released the
following statement regarding his veto of the Court of Common Council’s
resolution to impose overtime and hiring freezes:
“I was elected to this office with a clear public mandate; to
make the City of Hartford safer and improve the overall quality of life.
Council’s actions make it impossible for the Departments of Public Works (DPW),
Police and Fire to keep people safe, respond to emergencies and keep streets
clean.
“It’s absurd to suggest that either a Chief or a Department Head
needs to call a Council member to get approval before responding to an
emergency. We’ve had three homicides recently. We need more police officers not
less. The more officers we have, the safer our streets and the less overtime
that's necessary.
“Council receives financial reports every month and sees the
same numbers I do; we’ve spent 60% of our adopted budget, which is exactly where
we should be with 5 months left before the close of the fiscal
year.
“Over the past 10 years, before becoming Mayor, DPW lost more
than 100 employees. Since 2010 we’ve added approximately 35 back — the majority
Hartford residents — and we need to do more to continue improving the delivery
of basic and essential city services: clean parks, installation of speed tables
in advance of warm weather and pothole filling. It is one thing to do more with
less, but quite another to actually do less because we've foolishly tied one
hand behind our backs. What Council has proposed is impractical and inconsistent
with our charge as leaders.
“Although they, just like me, will need to answer to residents
as to why our City has regressed if these freezes are imposed; I have no
intention of risking the safety of our City and the progress we’ve made. Our
residents, businesses and children deserve better. “
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