The Bloomfield Community Dispatch

Independent journalism for a stronger Bloomfield in Connecticut. Truth. Transparency. Community. An independent news source focused on transparent governance, community celebrations, and the voices that define our town, bridging the gap between official governance and community action through rigorous, fact-based reporting.

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THE BLOOMFIELD PARADOX: Part 1

By Peter C. Frank on March 31, 2026

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The Part They Didn't Tell You

One Rating Away from State Takeover: How Bloomfield CT's Financial Crisis Puts the Town on the Brink READ THIS FIRST: What's Happening in Simple Terms The Problem: Bloomfield has not finished its required 2024 financial audit. It is now one year late. Why It Matters: Without audits, no one knows if the town has enough money to pay its bills. Credit rating agencies cannot rate a town without audits. What Just Happened: S&P (a rating agency) lowered Bloomfield's grade from AA+ to AA. S&P warned it might stop rating Bloomfield entirely in 90 days. What Happens If S&P Stops Rating: Connecticut state law says towns with no ratings can be taken over by the state. The state would control Bloomfield's budget. What the Town Says: The town says it is working to finish the audit by February 2026. This is the fourth deadline the town has promised. By Peter C. Frank...

"Meaningless"

"Meaningless": Town Attorneys Release Academic and Medical Records of Students from Unrelated Schools to Litigant By: Peter C. Frank Editor-in-Chief & Investigative Journalist Satirical editorial cartoon illustrating the confusion of confidential proceedings with confidential information. Image generated by nano banana Gemini 3 pro module. BLOOMFIELD, CT — Attorneys defending the Bloomfield Board of Education against a bullying complaint produced a spreadsheet containing detailed, unredacted records of dozens of students who attended different schools than the child at the center of the case—and were in grades the school doesn't even serve. The spreadsheet, spanning more than eight pages and produced by the law firm Karsten & Tallberg, LLC during Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) proceedings, contained sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) for students in grad...

The Transparency Test:

Bloomfield’s Vice Chair Race and the Shadow of Financial Crisis AI-generated satirical cartoon (Gemini) for the Dispatch. Bloomfield DTC Vice Chair Race 2026: McClary Faces Garcia & Schulman Amid Credit Downgrade Crisis Editor's Note: The Public Record and the "Hit Piece" Deflection (March 18, 7:00 PM) Following the publication of this article, The Dispatch has received comments characterizing our reporting as a "hit piece," questioning our use of FOIA requests, and expressing offense at our political cartoons. Journalistic transparency demands a direct response. The "Hit Piece" Accusation: A hit piece relies on unverified rumors. This article is grounded entirely in empirical facts: state audits, official OPM warning letters, and S&P Global Ratings documents. Furthermore, both Kenneth McClary and the DTC Chair were given multiple, documented opportunities over the course of a month to set ...

The $4 Million Loophole and the $100,000 Bill:

The "Victory" Lap vs. The Reality: While the administration stirs the pot, the plaintiffs examine the cracks in the foundation. (Image Concept: The Bloomfield Community Dispatch) Why The Real Cost of Bloomfield, CT's "Total Victory" is a Roadmap to a Slush Fund On January 5, 2026, the Town of Bloomfield issued a press release characterizing a recent Superior Court ruling as a "total victory" that "rejected all claims" challenging the town's FY2026 budget process. Former Mayor Danielle Wong echoed this assessment in a Facebook post , stating the court had validated the administration's financial transparency. However, a detailed review of Judge Huddleston's 40-page decision —and the subsequent appeal filed on January 12—reveals a more nuanced outcome. While the court legally validated the town's $4 million transfer, the ruling exposed what some voters and legal observers characterize as a signif...

SPECIAL REPORT:

SPECIAL REPORT: The $7.75 Million Question While the Town Council debates policy, financial documents reveal a government operating without audits and draining its savings to pay the bills. BLOOMFIELD, CT — An analysis of the Town’s January 2026 financial records, cross-referenced with court filings and credit agency reports, reveals a Finance Department struggling to maintain basic operations. While the Town Council debates policy, the machinery of financial oversight has broken down: the administration has gone four years without completing an audit, and its savings account is being drawn down rapidly to balance the budget. Tonight, the Finance, Budget, Audit & Bonding Subcommittee will review a disclosure that reveals significant gaps in the town's financial health. Here is what the numbers say. I. THE NUMBERS: BREACHING THE SAFETY NET The Official Story: The administration claims the budget is balanced...

Paying More for Less in Bloomfield: Part 2

Paying More for Less in Bloomfield: Part 2 - Administrative Expansion Amidst Public Service Reductions AI-generated satirical cartoon (Gemini) illustrating the priority shift in the FY2027 proposed budget: funding a "$3.97M TOTAL COMPENSATION" safe for executive administration while a locked chain-link fence shuts residents out of an empty municipal pool. By Peter C. Frank | Editor-in-Chief, the Bloomfield Community Dispatch April 12, 2026 (Catch up on the series: Read Part 1 - The Reality of Bloomfield's Next Budget ) BLOOMFIELD — The Bloomfield Municipal Pool costs $261,480 to operate for a summer—providing swimming lessons for 700 residents, 30 summer jobs for young adults, and a cooling center during heat emergencies. Two administrative assistants in the Town Manager's office cost more than that: over $320,000 annually. In Town Manager Alvin D. Schwapp Jr.'s proposed FY2027 budget, the pool gets mothballed. The administrative assistants get...

Shield or Sword?

⚠️ CORRECTION & APOLOGY (January 17, 2026) A previous version of the satirical illustration accompanying this article incorrectly utilized symbols and imagery associated with the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. ("ΩΨΦ") to depict Town Manager Alvin Schwapp and Town Attorney Andrew Crumbie. We have been informed by community leaders that while Finance Director Darrell Hill is a member of Omega Psi Phi, Mr. Schwapp and Mr. Crumbie are not. The illustration incorrectly implied a shared fraternity affiliation among these officials. The Dispatch strictly respects the history and distinctions of the Divine Nine organizations. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Hill, Mr. Harris, and the members of Omega Psi Phi for the misuse of their organization's symbols and for the error in our satirical depiction. The image has been removed. Investigative Analysis ...

Paying More for Less in Bloomfield: Part 1

Paying More for Less in Bloomfield: Part 1 - The Reality of Bloomfield's Next Budget and the Fiscal Year 2027 Tax Hike AI-generated satirical cartoon (Gemini) depicting the shifting of municipal liabilities onto taxpayers while town reserves remain locked away. By Peter C. Frank | Editor-in-Chief, the Bloomfield Community Dispatch April 10, 2026 BLOOMFIELD — Town Manager Alvin D. Schwapp Jr.’s proposed FY2027 budget document is presented to the public as an exercise in fiscal restraint and "shared sacrifice." The administration is asking taxpayers to absorb a 6.81% property tax increase to support a $117.1 million operating budget. While officials may claim the actual mill rate is remaining "flat" at 35.65 mills, this is a mathematical illusion. Because property values have increased under the revaluation phase-in, the true, revenue-neutral "equalized" mill rate for this year is actually 33.37. By pushing the rate back up to 35.65, th...

BREAKING: Town Manager Fires Plaintiff

BREAKING: Town Manager Fires Plaintiff Actively Suing Him, Bypassing Police Chief and HR AI-generated satirical cartoon (Gemini) featuring a diagonal "BREAKING NEWS" label, illustrating Town Manager Schwapp directly stamping "TERMINATED" on the lawsuit of his accuser while bypassing the Police Chief and HR protocol. By Peter C. Frank | Editor-in-Chief, the Bloomfield Community Dispatch April 12, 2026 Editor's Note: The allegations described in this article are drawn from court filings submitted by plaintiff Wendy Taylor and have not been adjudicated. The defendants have not yet filed a formal response to the amended complaint. Town Manager Schwapp, Mayor Harrington, Police Chief Hammick, Deputy Mayor Lloyd, and Deputy Town Manager Tai-Williams were given the opportunity to respond prior to publication; this article will be updated as responses are received. The Dispatch reports on this matter as a matter of public record and public int...

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