Scraping for every dime it is owed, Bridgeport has unrolled a program that will cut off money to businesses with municipal contracts that owe unpaid taxes. It's a smart approach, and should help the city get its finances in better shape.
As Mayor John M. Fabrizi touted in his speech to area business leaders last week, Bridgeport has improved its collection on taxes and motor vehicle fees in recent years, but there is more room for improvement. And since gains in fiscal management lead to better bond ratings — which lead to easier access to loans and more capital available for major projects — it's worth pursuing if the city can recoup some of its earlier losses.
The program won't stop businesses from doing work for the city; Fabrizi said unpaid delinquents will be "working off their debt." But with $30 million in unpaid taxes in question, it's worth taking any steps necessary. Similar warnings sent out late last year netted more than $100,000 in short order, and the new round could bring in much more. If only a fraction of the unpaid money is paid, the city will end up with hundreds of thousands of dollars that had been considered lost.
Bridgeport is getting its act together, and businesses that have contracts with the city are being held to account. It is to everyone's benefit.
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