Update: Finch Spokesman Responds to Herbst's "Bully" Comments

Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst called Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch a bully with anger management issues after a meeting at the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments meeting.

Herbst, the chairman of the group said he and Mayor John Harkins of Stratford had the executive director look for alternate sites both in and out Bridgeport for the group’s office space, according to a letter he sent Finch that was obtained by the Connecticut Post.

Herbst said there was a recent incident where someone defecated in a building elevator and that employees have expressed safety about their well-being.

Finch arrived to the meeting late in the middle of a conversation on the topic and allegedly started an argument.

“Mayor Finch, you are a bully who seeks to govern through intimidation,” Herbst wrote in a letter.

Reached Monday, City of Bridgeport spokesman Brett Broesder said that Herbst threw the item to move on the agenda without any pre-meeting notice and then failed to push it through.

“Per usual, Tim Herbst’s politically charged manifesto is absurd and full of half-stories and mistruths,” he said. When it comes to the meeting in question, the truth is that it’s normal procedure for the head of any organization, including the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (METROCOG), to give voting members a heads up about relevant items on an agenda before they are voted on. But much to the shock of several METROCOG voting members, including Mayor Finch, that didn’t happen.”

Broesder added that Finch wasn’t pleased with being sandbagged and didn’t appreciate a back room political deal that would move an organization out of the city as new investors and businesses move in.

“Mayor Finch has shown time and time again that he’s willing to roll up his sleeves and work with leaders from all parties, whether it’s local, regional, or national level,” he said, adding that he has worked with Harkins to secure a $40 million grant to renovate Sikorsky Airport and has worked with multiple municipal leaders to benefit municipalities.

Herbst also criticized Finch for actions taken as mayor. He said that it took the state Department of Transportation to begin inquiring about a project on Pequonnock River Trail to get things going. $2 million in CMAQ funds earmarked for Bridgeport in 2012 to connect Beardsley Park to the Intermodel Center.

“This lack of engagement from you and members of your administration is exactly why the management and investment of millions of dorsal for the benefit of Bridgeport has been stymied by a lack of due diligence and follow through by you and your staff,” Herbst wrote.

A DOT program manager wrote that he had serious concerns about the ability of the city to advance the project.

Bridgeport Director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development David Kooris said Herbst was wrong and that the planning study and final design meeting with the state DOT is next month.

“There was a temporary delay because Ted Grabarz, Bridgeport’s Sustainability Director, was spearheading the project,” he said. “But he was called to active duty for his service in the United States Military. That said, the project is now on track, moving forward, and once complete will serve as a significant boost for the community.”

He added that he hopes Herbst abides by federal law and provides parking for out of town residents.

Herbst finished his letter by saying Finch wouldn’t be allowed to attend future meeting if he acted in a similar manner.

“I believe you have serious anger management issues. If you cannot control your temper in a public forum, then do not attend the meetings. If you threaten anyone like that again in the future, you will be asked to leave,” Herbst wrote.

Broesder said Herbst’s behavior may fly with Republicans in Trumbull, but it’s not an effective way to lead.

“In Trumbull, behaving like a Tea Party radical and taking shots at Bridgeport might score some cheap political points with Republicans,” he said. But it’s not an effective way to govern elsewhere, including the state’s largest city or a regional organization.”

Read the full letter here.