IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR NEW HAVEN RESIDENTS:
The following changes to New Haven’s city charter are currently under consideration. You will have a chance to vote on some or all of these items in this November’s election. These changes would become permanent until another charter revision commission is convened, which might not take place until 2023.
CHARTER REVISION PROPOSALS
Board of Ed
Currently all of the members of the New Haven Board of Education are appointed by the mayor. The proposed charter amendments would replace two of the appointed positions with elected positions.
Under the proposed charter, the Board of Education would include two new non-voting student members from city high schools.
The Civilian Review Board for police complaints would be given a permanent status in the charter and allocated more power to conduct oversight of the actions of the police.
The Board of Aldermen would have the power to confirm or reject the mayor’s appointments to all city boards and commissions. Currently there are some boards and commissions that do not require aldermanic approval.
Changes to civil service rules – New Haven residents would be given an advantage in hiring for these positions.
The annual stipend/salary of the aldermen would be raised from $2000 to $3000 and indexed to inflation.
The charter will be completely reorganized and modernized
With elimination of anachronisms and inconsistencies in language,
Updating with gender neutral language (e.g. Board of Alders)
as well as minor changes to the
aldermanic tax abatement authority,
redistricting procedures, and
public participation and quorum requirements.
Just a reminder that we will be having our New Haven Votes meeting tomorrow at 3 pm at The Grove (71 Orange Street).
Our main focus tomorrow will be brainstorming about voter
registration/civic engagement activities for this summer.****
Mayor DeStefano will provide an overview of the City’s proposed budget for
fiscal year 2013/2014 and answer questions from residents on Wednesday, May
1 at 6:30 PM at Mitchell Library, 37 Harrison St.
Residents are encouraged to attend these informational meetings in order to
gain an understanding of both the City’s budget priorities and the
challenges presented for the City as a result of the proposed State budget.
Join Community Engagement Editor Shahid Abdul-Karim at a “Citywide youth forum with the mayoral candidates” at 6:30 p.m. May 13 at the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven, 253 Columbus Ave. All of the mayoral candidates who have officially filed with the city to date have been invited. Candidates that have confirmed their attendance to date are: state Rep. Gary Holder-Winfiled, D-New Haven; Alderman Justin Elicker, D-10; city native Sundiata Keitazulu; and former city Economic Development Administrator Henry Fernandez. The event is sponsored by the New Haven Register. For more information, call 203-789-5614.
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/04/22/news/new_haven/doc516813b02018b849331099.txt
The Finance Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday, April 29, 2013,
at 6:00 P.M, at the Columbus Family Academy Cafetorium, 255 Blatchley
Avenue, to hear PUBLIC TESTIMONY concerning the Mayors Annual Budget for
the Fiscal Year 2013-2014.
The New Haven Board of Education is sponsoring a week-long series of focus
groups and forums to gain stakeholder input on the selection of a new
superintendent of schools. In addition to focus groups for specific groups
of stakeholders, there will be three public forums:
Tuesday, April 23, 7 pm, Career High School Auditorium, 140 Legion Avenue***
*
Wednesday, April 24, 7 pm, Fair Haven Middle School Auditorium, 164 Grand
Avenue****
Saturday, April 27, 9 am, Hillhouse High School Auditorium, 480 Sherman
Parkway
Please feel free to encourage others to participate in these programs.
**
The Finance Committee of the Board of Aldermen will hold a workshop tonight
Thurs., April 18 to discuss appropriations in the 2013-14 city budget.
The New Haven Charter Revision Commission meets tonight April 18 at City
Hall at 7 pm to conduct deliberations on reports from Working Groups B and
C.
The New Haven Democracy Fund will meet Thurs., April 18 at 6:30 pm at City
Hall.
Along with community partners like the New Haven Democracy Fund, we will be co-sponsoring one or more of the three mayoral debates expected to take place between May and September. Please stay tuned for details.
You can make suggestions about debate questions here.