In a meeting with 20 aldermen present, there was little dissent or hesitation to push for New Haven to become one of the three pilot cities to participate in the new statewide pilot program for taxpayer-financed municipal elections.
(Click here to read about the new state law and how New Haven’s program would work. Click here to read the resolution by Board President Jorge Perez and his letter to his aldermanic colleagues.)
When Jorge Perez (pictured at a recent rally) asked if any aldermen would care to comment, Carl Goldfield, who has helped the campaign for publicly financed elections in New Haven for three years, rose to say a few words.
“This has really been a long time coming,” said Goldfield (pictured). He thanked a number of aldermen, state legislators, and Yale students who have helped in this long process by researching the details of how the system might work and lobbying for passage of state enabling legislation. “We really should be one of the cities to get picked,” he told the crowd. “We’re very hopeful.”
Fair Haven Alderman Joseph Jolly also stood to thank “virtually everyone on the New Haven [state] delegation” for their support in the process.
According to both Jolly and Goldfield, New Haven has been the driving force behind the move toward public funding, so it would make sense for New Haven to be one of the pilot cities. Torrington may also be in the running. “New Haven has been the only city present at state meetings. We’re the only ones ever there.”
However thankful the aldermen may be, Goldfield still said that “tonight’s resolution was nice, but premature.” The process is a long one and “there’s still a lot more work to do with this.” Even though the board now has permission to move forward on applying to the state to become a pilot city, the state has drawn up the plans neither for the application process, nor for how it envisions the funding for the elections. And the aldermen have to draw up their own version of a campaign finance plan to pass at the local level.
Goldfield (pictured) said he hopes the state will be open to a flexible plan. “What works for one city might not work for another,” he said. If New Haven is chosen to be a pilot city, Goldfield doesn’t want the state to outline exactly how the money should be raised.
Tonight’s resolution “keeps us on the radar,” Goldfield said. He anticipated some hot debate as the process moves forward.