While City Hall gears up to push for an employee residency requirement, some aldermen are working to have city voters weigh in on the matter at the polls in November.
Five city aldermen submitted a proposal to that effect Tuesday evening at a meeting of the Board of Aldermen. Their proposal aims to put a non-binding referendum question before New Haven voters: Should state law be changed to allow the city to impose a collective bargaining requirement that municipal employees live within city limits?
The city administration has already decided that the answer to that question is yes. As part of the administration’s lobbying efforts in Hartford, staffer Adam Joseph will be working to have the law changed to allow the city to impose a residency requirement.
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West Rock Alderman Darnell Goldson, one of the aldermen behind the referendum idea, has been working on the issue for some time. He submitted the bill along with Aldermen Charles Blango, Michael Smart, Stephanie Bauer, and Sergio Rodriguez. The proposal is headed to committee in advance of a vote by the full board.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Goldson said that he’s for a referendum as a means of putting “the full voice of the people of New Haven” behind the effort to change the law.
A referendum vote could also spark interest in the states other big cities, Hartford and Bridgeport, and get their legislators and citizens to work on the law change too, Goldson said.
Goldson acknowledged that a citywide vote could show a lack of support rather than added support of a law change. If the majority of voters are against it, he’ll drop it, Goldson said. “I listen to the people.”
Alderman Blango said a referendum is designed to stimulate conversation about the residency issue, to generate momentum for lobbying efforts.