Rickford Kirton Letter to Bloomfield Town Officials June 5, 2025
Rickford Kirton - Chair, Citizens for a Responsible Bloomfield Budget
7 Hickory Lane Bloomfield, CT 06002
responsibleBloomfield@gmail.com
June 5, 2025
To: Alvin D. Schwapp, Jr., Town Manager Andrew Crumbie, Town Attorney Anna Posniak, Town Clerk Members of the Bloomfield Town Council
800 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield, CT 06002
Re: Inaccurate Referendum Question and Charter Violation - May 28, 2025, Budget Vote
Dear Mr. Schwapp, Attorney Crumbie, Ms. Posniak, and Members of the Town Council:
I write to you in my capacity as Chair of the Citizens for a Responsible Bloomfield Budget to formally raise concern regarding the legality and integrity of the referendum held on May 28, 2025, and the wording of the question presented to Bloomfield voters.
The referendum question stated that the total FY2026 budget was $117,619,271, which included a $4 million transfer to the Economic Development Trust Fund. However, this figure was factually inaccurate and materially misleading, for the following reasons:
On May 5, 2025, at the Annual Town Meeting, the Town Council adopted the FY2026 General Fund Budget in the amount of $113,619,271. This figure was presented to the public, itemized by department, and properly noticed. The $4 million transfer was not part of the adopted budget.
On May 19, 2025, during a Special Town Council Meeting, the Council reaffirmed these items in two separate motions:
One motion reaffirming the adopted General Fund Budget of $113,619,271, and
A second, separate motion reaffirming the $4 million transfer to the Economic Development Trust Fund.
According to the Bloomfield Town Charter, any appropriation exceeding 1.5% of the adopted annual budget must be submitted to voters for approval via a separate referendum. Based on the adopted budget of $113,619,271, the $4 million appropriation represents approximately 3.75%, far exceeding the threshold.
Despite these facts, the referendum question improperly bundled the $4 million transfer into the total budget figure, denying voters their Charter-protected right to consider and vote on that transfer independently.
Therefore, I respectfully request that the Town Council:
Publicly acknowledge the error in the May 28 referendum question;
Invalidate the results of that referendum;
Schedule a new referendum using the correct adopted budget total of $113,619,271; and
Initiate a separate referendum process for the $4 million appropriation to the Economic Development Trust Fund, as required by the Charter.
If no formal response is received by Monday, June 9, 2025, I reserve the right to explore all appropriate legal remedies to uphold the rights of Bloomfield voters and ensure compliance with the Town Charter.
Sincerely, Rickford Kirton Chairperson
Citizens for a Responsible Bloomfield Budget