For the third straight Bridgeport City Council meeting, resident Steve McElroy approached the podium to address the City’s governing body. And for the third straight meeting, McElroy asked Bridgeport Mayor Mario Blount to step down.

 

McElroy has calmly asked Blount to remove himself voluntarily from the office he was elected to and has done so at all three meetings since Blount, a pharmacist, was indicted by a federal grand jury and then arrested and charged June 3 with three felony counts relating to the improper distribution of prescription painkillers. McElroy has said that he will continue to seek enough signatures to force a recall election of Blount’s position.

 

City Clerk Andrea Kerr said that in order to do the recall election, McElroy would have to get 10 percent of the city’s registered voters (617 is the number) and then file the fee to do the recall election. She said although not certain, the cost would likely be between $6,000 and $7,000. An exact total, she said, would be calculated if it gets to that point. According to McElroy, he’s getting close to that point with what he claims are more than three dozen individuals seeking signatures for the petition with the needed signatures.

 

“Only eight of the 40 people gathering signatures have returning petitions to me,” said McElroy. “I now have 192 signatures obtained with very little effort.”

 

No one disputed those numbers during the presentation. McElroy also did not present them at this time.

 

Whether the reported numbers means a recall election is forthcoming is unknown. What is known is that Blount said after the meeting that he is not stepping down from his position. Whether Blount can stay in his position legally – without the recall election – will be determined starting Dec. 1. That date was announced today as the trial date for Blount. Click HERE to read that story.

 

McElroy, however, wants Blount to step down immediately. He said Blount being on the city’s governing body is divisive.

 

“Our community is being divided and Bridgeport’s reputation is being harmed,” said McElroy. “We are becoming the butt of jokes linking us to the Clarksburg City Council and the mayor of Toronto. There is no doubt that families and businesses looking to locate in Bridgeport must contend with a mayor that has been arrested on drug charges.”

 

Several other items were discussed at this evening’s meeting. A follow-up report on other items addressed by Council will be posted tomorrow on Connect-Bridgeport.com.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Steve McElroy asking Mayor Mario Blount to once again step down. Bottom photo shows Blount as he presents a proclamation to the Bridgeport High School state championship baseball team.