Herbst: Prevent Municipal Employees from Serving on Town Councils

Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst had an op-ed published in CT News Junkie about his support for a bill that would prevent municipal employees from serving on their local town or city council.

The bill is co-sponsored by State Rep. Jack Hennessey and Sen. Marilyn Moore.

Herbst specifically criticized officials in Bridgeport and Hartford. There are four Bridgeport city employees that sit on the city council, he said. Tom McCarthy is president of the Bridgeport City Council and the deputy director of labor relations for the city, something Herbst said can present a conflict of interest.

“This kind of conflict of interest is exactly why so many distrust those who hold public office. When a privileged few are given an unfair advantage, residents, businesses, and the media rightly lose their faith in government,” he said.

Read the full op-ed here.