Markeshia Ricks
Rodriguez takes oath of office.
The Hill is once again fully represented with four alders.
Evelyn Rodriguez was sworn in as the alder for Ward 4 Monday afternoon at City Hall after months of waiting to make sure that she could take office.
Rodriguez, who grew up in the Hill, works for the state Department of Labor. She waited to be sworn in pending clarification that she could take office and still keep her job. Her job as an adjudication specialist for that department is funded with money from the federal government; the federal Hatch Act bars federal employees from running in contested elections.
Rodriguez won last fall’s Ward 4 election to succeed longtime Hill Alder Andrea Jackson-Brooks, who retired last year. She ran unopposed. But Rodriguez didn’t appear at the Jan. 1 inauguration for alders. Discussions ensued about whether she could hold the office. The determination ended up being that she couldn’t run in a contested election net time if she continues to hold the current position.
Rodriguez was accompanied by her mother, Noemi. and one of her sisters, Simirramis Rodriguez.
With her mother and one of her sisters looking on while, Rodriguez Monday afternoon took the oath administered by Mayor Toni Harp, Rodriguez, in a voice filled with emotion said she’s been a public servant since she was a little girl at the Star Jacob Church, and she wants to continue to serve.
“I care about the voters and the city at large, and I want to support you and the administration and the wonderful goals you have set for the City of New Haven,” Rodriguez said to Harp.
Harp said having 30 members of the Board of Alders representing the city’s 130,000 residents makes New Haven unique, and she was glad to swear in Rodriguez to make that body complete again.
“It means that democracy is available to everyone in our community,” she said.