Roldan May Run For Hartford Mayor, Takes Aim At Segarra

A Hartford state representative has announced that he may run for mayor of the capital city.  WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports.

 

Kelvin Roldan served in the administration of former Mayor Eddie Perez before getting elected to the state legislature.  Last year, Roldan narrowly won a Democratic primary in a district where about 750 people voted and in November he won reelection to his third term.

 

He also works for the city's board of education as its director of strategic partnerships.

 

Roldan says he is looking into a run for either city treasurer or mayor.  Should he run for mayor, he would join the current office holder -- Pedro Segarra -- and two others who have already formally declared their candidacies.

 

Roldan took aim at Segarra and says the mayor shouldn't have paid nearly half a million dollars to settle a lawsuit brought by the man who did deeply discounted renovations on Perez's home. That man, Carlos Costa, had fallen behind on a multi-million dollar contract with the city, but he said the city breached that contract and owed him money. The case was moving toward trial.

 

"I wouldn't have settled it, that's correct. I can't tell you if it would cost more or less, but I can tell you it was wrong at the end of the day and that's the point."

 

Roldan also criticizes Segarra for a retirement incentive program the mayor used to save money.  Roldan says it decimated the ranks of experienced city managers and padded the pensions of retiring elected officials.

 

Efforts to reach Segarra were unsuccessful.

 

For WNPR, I'm Jeff Cohen.