Council Votes to Remove City Manager Patrick Ford
By Jeff Toquinto on April 03, 2025
Bridgeport City Council voted to remove City Manager Patrick Ford during a special meeting held today, Thursday, April 3, inside of an overflowing Council chamber at the Bridgeport Municipal Complex.
Council voted 5-1 to remove Ford without cause with members Clayton Rice, Don Burton, and John Wilson joining Mayor Andy Lang and City Clerk Harry M. "Hank" Murray. Council member Jason Campbell voted against the removal of Ford from his city manager position./Council%204-3-25%20Crowd.jpg)
Jeff Smell, the recently appointed member of Council to fill the remaining term for Jon Griffith, who stepped down in recent weeks, was not in attendance at the meeting.
The removal comes less than six months after Ford was hired for the job. He took over for Brian Newton who resigned on July 31, 2023.
Council’s decision comes after an agenda for the special meeting was released Monday. The only item on the agenda was to “Discuss and, if appropriate, act on the removal of the City Manager.”
The large gathering on hand was largely supportive of Ford. However, it did not sway the vote of the majority of Council, which was final. Now, Council will have to begin a search for a new top administrator.
The meeting started with a motion and a second by Council to remove Ford. After that, Lang offered all members a chance to speak on the matter. All spoke with the exception of Wilson.
Ford, who asked to speak at the start of the meeting, and then at the end of the meeting, was initially denied by Lang. However, with a restless crowd, Lang relented and gave Ford five minutes to speak, of which he used roughly 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
Each member spoke on several topics, all of which are not included here, when addressing their peers and the crowd on hand. Lang went in order from his right, which began with Rice./Council%204-3-25%20Lang%20Murray.jpg)
“Over the last few months, I have lost trust in our city manager Patrick Ford. Over the last weeks it has been clear that we need to restore stability and integrity and act swiftly to renew this commitment to our residents and our city’s employees,” said Rice, who spoke for 2 minutes. “I have been appalled and embarrassed for our city having read on social media the countless attacks on highly regarded citizens in our community that have served this city selflessly. It’s not who we are in Bridgeport. It’s not who we should be in America, and the catalyst of these attacks needs to stop, and needs to go.”
Campbell, who was the only person to speak twice, was next. He spoke for roughly 8 and a half minutes, and then again toward the end of the session, hitting various areas, focusing on how he believed Ford had improved the work culture after a chance encounter – after he said he initially agreed to remove Ford – with a Bridgeport Police officer in public
The officer, Campbell said, told him that Ford was “a breath of fresh air. He said, ‘I shouldn’t be talking to you because I’ve got a chain of command. I’m really not supposed to talk to you about anything,’ and I thought about that for a minute. Chief (Mark) Rogers has 63 deputies that work under him and not one time did any of them ever call me and say Chief Rogers got on me today because I didn’t cut my hair, or I didn’t shave and I’m mad because the other guys don’t shave. He’s picking on me.”/Council%204-3-25%20Rice%20Campbell.jpg)
Campbell said he never received calls of that nature from any of the department heads, mentioning several. He said if “two or three” are complaining, they go to Ford as addressing day-to-day matters was his job to handle, and not Council’s. Campbell, who ended his statement by calling what transpired a “stain, a black eye on the City of Bridgeport,” also asked for the matter to be paused to let the newly elected City Council, which will be seated July 1 after the June 10 election address whether they want to keep Ford.
Burton was next. Of those speaking, his comments were the shortest – under 1 minute – and he spoke specifically to what he believed was a considerable number the employees having issues with the city manager as the reason he would vote for Ford’s removal.
“Looking back at my almost 30 years as a department head (of Bridgeport Parks and Recreation), taking care of the employees that /Council%204-3-25%20Ford%20II.jpg)
worked for me, and I’ve been in this position the last six years on Council, and I still want to do that. They are the machine that keeps the City of Bridgeport running, and we have to have faith in them, and we have to support (them),” said Burton. “Yes, there are pros and cons and disagreements, but when the vast majority of them have issues (with the city manager), we have to support them.”
worked for me, and I’ve been in this position the last six years on Council, and I still want to do that. They are the machine that keeps the City of Bridgeport running, and we have to have faith in them, and we have to support (them),” said Burton. “Yes, there are pros and cons and disagreements, but when the vast majority of them have issues (with the city manager), we have to support them.”
Murray talked for a little less than a minute and a half. He addressed an issue that Campbell first addressed, which was an investigation done by the city that Ford mentioned in a press released to the media shortly after the agenda was released Monday. You can read that article HERE.
“The investigation was about an employee, not about (Council),” Murray said, after Campbell told those gathered the investigation was also not about Ford. “Again, we can’t go over that until (the investigation) comes out. I don’t know of anybody on this Council that knows anything about this investigation because it’s been shelved.”
Lang spoke after Murray, and the investigation was again brought up among several items discussed by the mayor. His comments were just under 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
“The investigation, which was confidential until Mr. Ford disclosed its existence by way of social media, pertained only to a former employee who has threatened litigation, but not filed a lawsuit,” said Lang. Prior to that, Lang said Ford hired an outside law firm to do the investigation without city approval, which Lang said approval was ultimately given, “with a budget not to exceed $25,000. Nevertheless, Mr. Ford allowed the cost to escalate beyond $70,000 already without informing the Council without requesting additional fundings for the investigation.”
Lang further went to say there is no estimate yet to be given for the law firm, Flannery Georgalis, LLC and led by William Ihlenfeld, to complete the investigation. Lang said he had concerns various other issues, including personnel, but did not address them due to “confidentiality.”
Once Ford was granted time to speak, he went over a packet he prepared for Council with information, much of which was also given to the media, addressing several issues. Most of the items focused on the aforementioned investigation, including minutes from a Feb. 10, 2025, meeting approving the investigation, an engagement letter from Ihlenfeld dated Feb. 8, 2025, and a second engagement letter from Ihlenfeld dated Feb. 12, 2025. A confidential/sealed email from Ihlenfeld presented to Council was not in the packet given to the media.
“Mayor and members of City Council, you have an envelope in front of you. I ask you to have the courage to open this letter and read the findings of William Ihlenfeld to the public,” said Ford. “They deserve that.”
Prior to that comment, Ford addressed the eight items in the packet and also stated that of the things Council and Lang addressed him to/Council%204-23-35%20Ford.jpg)
do upon taking the position of city manager, he had done.
do upon taking the position of city manager, he had done.
After Ford spoke, the matter then went to a vote. Lang called for those in favor of removing Ford, and those opposed. For a brief time after that, the crowd was agitated with at least one member standing up to show his disappointment in what had transpired. After Lang called for order, he then called for adjournment.
After the meeting, Ford spent 10 minutes addressing members of the media. The first question, and answer, from Ford, was on the investigation that dominated his comments to the city’s governing body.
“We found what was causing the problem in the culture of the city and I was prepared to fix it,” said Ford, who said fixing the culture in the office was the item he believed struck a nerve. “It identified my path forward on what needed fixed and then the investigation was shut down and now here I am out of a job.”
Ford said he was let go due to him wanting the investigation results released. He said the city did not, which conflicts with Lang’s statement saying the investigation was not complete as well as the above statement by Murray.
The meeting lasted roughly half an hour with the majority of the time taken by the comments among members. Ford’s term, after taking the oath of office in the same Council chambers on Oct. 17, was two weeks shy of six months.
Ford, who said he would leave it up to his attorneys whether to pursue legal action, was also asked what was next.
“All I do is work. I’m going to wake up tomorrow looking for work. That’s all I’ve done,” said Ford.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows the crowd with a little less than 15 minutes before the meeting started, and it only became more crowded with individuals sitting on the floor and standing in the hallway outside the chamber. Second image shows Mayor Andy Lang, left, and City Clerk Harry M. "Hank" Murray. The third image shows Council member Clayton Rice and fellow Council member Jason Campbell. Ford is shown before the meeting in the next image presenting Council with packets of information, while Ford is shown being interviewed by members of the media after the session.
