New London — Billed as a press conference to reject the City Council’s recent vote on spending $13.1 million in federal pandemic funding, Monday afternoon's gathering outside City Hall quickly took on the tone of a campaign rally.

About 25 people gathered along State Street to chastise the sitting City Council, a cause that brought together Republican and Green Party council candidates alike for stump speeches. The current city council is composed of all Democrats.

The gathering comes on the heels of a special meeting last Wednesday in which the council approved the third and final reading of the plan to spend the first half of the $26.2 million in federal funding from American Rescue Plan Act.

Maya Sheppard, who hosted Monday’s event on behalf of the People’s Budget Coalition and took the lead on the loudspeaker at the rally, said the council has not listened to requests for a more participatory and transparent process.

The People’s Budget Coalition has been active throughout the year in calling for a shift in funding toward human services, public works, seniors, education and away from the police department.

“I think our City Council is spending our money irresponsibly,” Sheppard said.

Republican Town Committee chair Kat Goulart, who attended the gathering with three Republican council candidates, said Republicans differ when it comes to funding the police department. Many of the Republican candidates have taken up public safety as the most important issue in the city.

But Goulart said Republicans share a disdain for what she called the City Council’s lack of addressing questions from the public and took issue with the fact that the final vote on ARPA funding came at a special meeting. She and others argue the process was unnecessarily rushed.

The council had discussed the ARPA funding over three council meetings and a special public forum. The city had previously solicited funding ideas and used submissions to build a budget for the pandemic funding.

Councilor Curtis Goodwin, who is not seeking reelection, defended the council’s moves and said budgeting for ARPA funds remains an ongoing process. Many of the proposed funding allocations need final approvals before the money is dispersed because they are based on contracts or agreements that are not yet finalized.

“It’s an ongoing conversation. I don’t think we’ve locked ourselves into anything that’s set in stone,” Goodwin said.

He acknowledged that the city administration might have better articulated the process, but said the future council has the ability to make adjustments.

“I think the council is listening,” Goodwin said. “Residents have to understand it’s an ongoing process and should continue to exercise their right to scrutinize it. If we passed the budget and all of the money was allocated, then yes, I would agree the process was rushed.”

G.smith@theday.com