Stewart's Pension Push: Stretching Rules in CT Politics

0:00It's April 30th. From your city to your ears, this is Hartford News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Former new Britain mayor, Aaron Stewart, asked for a partial retirement pension last fall after 14 years in office, even though the city charter. Only promises a full half-salary benefit after 20 years of service, with no mention of anything prorated. She calculated about 35% of her $112,000 mayor salary, kicking in when she hits 55 in 20. 42, city staff quickly crunched the numbers and sent her an estimate without pushing back on the missing rule. Earlier this year, Stewart herself set a similar precedent by signing a deal for the tax collector, Cheryl Blagoslowski, promising her 40%. Of her salary, after 16 years, right before that job got scrapped by charter changes, it was pitched as protection against the lawsuit, but now under new Democratic mayor, Bobby Sanchez, that agreement is on ice.

1:01Stewart shrugged it off in interviews, saying, why not ask, after all that service, and it won't hurt her run for the Republican governor nod. But Sanchez's team calls it a clear charter violation, stressing no one's ever gotten a partial payout before, and they're fighting to shield taxpayer. Cash. Fast forward, Blagoslowski got suspended, then fired over mishandling cash and backdating payments, some linked to Stewart's era. He's now pushing to collect her pension, and both her deal and Stewart's request got flagged to independent investigators, digging into tax office, mess. As Stewart gears up for the GOP convention on May 16th and a possible primary in August, this pension push hangs over her campaign like a storm, cloud, testing how far you can stretch the rules in Connecticut politics.