I arrived at his home a few minutes early on a Sunday evening. The children were in bed. No television or radio on. He drank a glass of water. He checked his phone once and told the caller he was busy.

Why is now the time for you to run?

If you recall, Mayor Segarra replaced Mayor Perez before his term was up. One of the first things he did was to clean house. Bronin feels that Segarra “did a decent job bringing stability at that period,” but that period was only a moment out of several years. In the time since, Segarra has failed to manage City Hall, according to Bronin.

Meanwhile, cities are back in vogue. The State is interested in cities, Bronin said. People, young and old, are returning to live in them. Hartford could be positioning itself to take advantage of this trend, Bronin said, but it’s not.

What experience do you have in managing departments and what is your own management philosophy? 

While answering directly to Governor Malloy, Bronin said his job entailed managing others.

Many of the issues that the City of Hartford is currently experiencing, he suggested, is due to poor management.

The strong mayor form of government, which Hartford has now had for some time, requires responding to systemic problems that exist in various departments, like those in Public Works.

Look around, Bronin said, and one can see too many interim heads of departments. That is just one sign that something is amiss.

Someone needs to coordinate efforts, to “get everyone around the table,” shut the door, and “hash things out.”

What do you expect to accomplish in the first year, if elected?

First, he said, “I would get everyone’s resignation and decide which to accept.”

Supporting neighborhood schools is a priority, and this would mean assisting the superintendent with her transition plan, especially as it pertains to Special Education and E.L.L. services.

The other major area of focus would be economic development, “not just the big, splashy, grand slam projects” either. This would involve checking in with existing businesses to see how the City can assist them. It would mean trying to pull businesses to Hartford, even if this means only getting one bite after calling 100 companies. All of the major corridors could see economic development, he said, not just downtown.

How would you address transparency with the media and the general public?

“Transparency with the media follows transparency with the public,” Bronin said.

When one is in public office, a willingness to be open to criticism is necessary. Bronin said he would have regular “Mayor’s Night Out” events, forums at senior centers, rec centers, with the NRZs, and so forth, giving many residents the opportunity to voice their concerns. It is necessary to give people the chance to talk, he said.

The stadium situation is the perfect example, Bronin said, of transparency missing from the Office of the Mayor.

Do you support the stadium — yes or no?

“I don’t think it’s a meaningful question because it’s happening, regardless.”

Back in June, when it was first unveiled, Bronin did not support the original plan. “I have real concerns about the numbers,” he said. Will this project generate enough revenue to cover the costs?

But, he said, “it’s in no one’s interest to root for failure.”

Going forward, Bronin said he wants to ensure that this project is “not just a ballpark,” that the grocery store and other elements of development come to fruition.

What steps will you take to ensure that the north neighborhoods do not become further geographically isolated by infrastructure like the stadium?

Some of this is a matter of design and what one follows through on, he said.

The Downtown North Redevelopment Project is just one bookend, Bronin said, with the other being the University of Hartford and Westbrook Village redevelopment. What’s in between matters: implementing the Albany Avenue streetscape, working on brownfield remediation, helping small businesses along the way.

How would you respond if it is discovered that there were illegal actions involved in the City’s stadium deal?

Bronin said that right now there is a giant hole in the ground and that by the time the election happens, the stadium will likely be only months away from opening. Should we stop movement on this at that stage? He’s not so sure.

If something illegal were discovered, however, he would support full prosecution of those involved.

What do you know about budgeting?

While working for Governor Malloy, Bronin said he was involved in the 2013 budget cycle. You “have to base your projections on facts,” he said.

The mill rate for commercial properties is often considered to be too high. Is this something that matters?

It “especially matters for small and mid-sized businesses,” Bronin said.

The mayor should be fighting at the State Capitol for how PILOT is funded.

There should be support for regional cost sharing and a look at how to make car taxes more equitable across the state.

He sees this, though, as a matter to deal with “one property at a time.” We should convince businesses to stay and grow in Hartford, rather than leave. The departure of UTC from Hartford to the suburbs, he said, should be seen as a problem, not as an inevitability.

There should also be attention given to major projects in areas like the South Meadows where currently space is eaten up by a small airport and an “obsolete” power plant.

In the near future, the City of Hartford will “remain dependent on State assistance,” he said. This means the City needs to watch how its spends its money, even in small ways.

Sometimes, it’s as much about the message we send as it is the money we spend, he said.

Currently Mayor Segarra sits on the Board of Education but is a non-voting member. What role would you play with the BOE, if elected?

He says he would work closely with the school board. Right now, it is rare that the mayor is sitting at the table, he said. “If I were a member [of the BOE] I’d be at all the meetings.”

There has been something of a disconnect between the BOE and mayor, he said. The Moylan Montessori issue is a prime example of that. Even though the need for a school site was known about for years, “there was no urgency.”

Where do your children attend school?

One attends the Annie Fisher Montessori Magnet. One is currently attending a Montessori school in West Hartford because that child had mid-year entry; she did not get into the family’s first choice through the lottery. The family is hoping that that child will have luck with the lottery and be able to transfer to Annie Fisher Montessori for the next school year. The couple’s youngest child is not yet school-age.

How will you work to promote sustainable methods of transportation?

The City could do more to promote bike lanes and racks, he said.

There are ways that the mayor could be advocating for the City to benefit from State-funded initiatives, like the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail.

Right now there is talk about what to do with I-84 through Hartford. Bronin would like to see this section of the Interstate get moved below grade.

“Take advantage of the park system,” he added.

Hartford’s dike system was deemed unacceptable in 2014, putting federal insurability at risk. What is your plan for meeting the Army Corps of Engineers’ standards for a passable dike and flood control system?

Hartford could have had this fully funded, Bronin said. Due to inaction, the Army Corps now says that this is ineligible for federal funding. What this means for Hartford, he said, is that we will need to use CIP (Capital Improvement Project) funding.

So what that the dike has been ignored, I asked.

“A significant portion of the City’s grand list would be under water,” should there be a breach, he said.

This has been a known issue for years.

Bronin believes that the mayor should be begging the Army Corps to help Hartford out.

Historical Preservation: How will you help Hartford end its demolition-by-neglect trend?

Historical sites are not just cultural; they can be a source of economic development. There should be pressure on property owners to not allow their properties to fall into disrepair.