Barring someone dropping out, there will now be at least one person running for every open seat that will be up in Bridgeport’s June city election. That became the case Wednesday when a fourth individual filed for office with the necessary paperwork turned in at the Municipal Complex.

 

As has been the case with the three previous filings, the fourth filing involved an incumbent of one of the open seats on the board.  Two-term City Council member John Wilson will be looking to win a third term from the residents of Bridgeport.

 

“I am hoping to earn the trust of the residents for a third term and will continue to work hard to do that,” said Wilson a retired small businessman. “ … I appreciate that the citizens of our great City have allowed me to represent them for the past eight years on their City Council. It has been an honor.”

 

Wilson is nearing the end of his second term with the city’s governing body. He said he thinks there are several areas where there has been effective work done during his time.

 

He points to standards that have been utilized – and followed from previous City Councils – on the financial front has created what he described as “excellent financial conditions” in Bridgeport as the governing body continues its conservative patterns on expenditures. He also believes there has been more transparency and efforts to get information out utilizing tools such as Nixle and working with Connect-Bridgeport and other media.

 

“First, my role is not to micromanage the City. That is why we adopted a city manager form of government in 1993. Secondly, Council should be transparent in all their decisions; respecting opinion in both favor and dissent and finally, I and Council must always adhere to the principles of public trust. I believe I follow all three.”

 

Wilson also is proud of Bridgeport being recognized on a number of fronts. He talked about various city departments, emergency planning, and the ongoing success of students in the city’s school system as being recognized and for representing the city in excellent fashion.

 

Having lived 47 years in the city, Wilson has spent much of that time invovled in several arenas even beyond his current time on Council and time with small business. He is a supporter of youth sports and is actively involved in his church.

 

Wilson and his wife Karol have two sons and two daughters-in-law. Shawn and Nicole Wilson and Kirk and Denise Wilson. They also have five grandchildren.

 

Wilson and fellow Council member Dustin Vincent have filed for re-election to Council. Current Council member Diana Marra has filed for mayor and current Bridgeport Mayor Robert “Bob” Greer has filed for Council.

 

The city will hold its election on June 13.  While the election is in June, the filing period began earlier this month. The filing period ends Friday, April 14, 2017 at 4 p.m. City Clerk Andrea Kerr said the certificates have to be filed with her office and there is a filing fee of $25.

 

Click HERE for a story on the election that ran previously on Connect-Bridgeport with additional election details.

 

Editor's Note: Council member John Wilson is shown in Council Chambers speaking at the Jan. 9 meeting of Bridgeport City Council.