Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez , who was arrested on bribery charges last month, is dropping some of his responsibilities.
He will step down as chairman of the Board of Education and the School Building Committee. He will remain on both boards and has handpicked successors.
Ada Miranda, now vice chair, is expected to lead the school board. Miranda is expected to be elected on Tuesday night.
John Motley, a former Travelers executive who is now a consultant and planner, will lead the school building committee. Motley is expected to be appointed and elected in the next few weeks.
Perez was arrested last month. He is accused in a corruption scandal involving work a city contractor did on his house.
Prosecutors said Perez got Carlos Costa to do $40,000 of work on his home and then paid him only half that amount.
Perez was charged with bribe receiving, fabricating physical evidence and conspiracy to fabricate physical evidence. He pleaded not guilty.
Costa, a West Hartford resident who owns and operates USA Contractors, Inc., was charged with two counts of bribery, and one count each of fabricating physical evidence and conspiracy to fabricate physical evidence.
Perez will remain on both boards but will no longer serve as chair.
“I intend to remain involved in all educational issues in the city because the education of our children is a passion. However, with the extremely difficult financial issues facing the city, I am going to have to devote more of my time to focusing on how to best steer city government through these turbulent financial waters,” Perez said in a news release.
