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In on time: Aldermen Hausladen, Perez, and Jackson-Brooks.
Eight city lawmakers have failed to submit required forms listing potential conflicts of interest this year. The forms that have come in reveal a number of aldermanic family members with city jobs — and one lawmaker with close ties to the upper ranks of the Diaper Bank.
Those facts are laid out in the 2012 annual disclosure forms that aldermen complete each year — along with all city employees, officials, and members of boards and commissions — listing any potential conflicts of interest they might have. Those potential conflicts could include family members who work for the city, an employer who does business with the city, or affiliation with an organization that is funded by the city.
The listings are by no means evidence of wrongdoing. Rather they alert the public to ties that could theoretically face lawmakers with conflicts of interest if, say, certain matters come up for a vote. The goal is full public disclosure.
The forms are usually sent out in February and collected by March or April. But the Human Resources department sent them out late this year. Aldermen didn’t receive them until the beginning of June, and only after a request by Board of Alderman President Jorge Perez.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, 20 of 30 aldermen had turned in completed forms. But 10 aldermen had not. They were Aldermen Sarah Eidelson, Dolores Colon, Jessica Holmes, Mark Stopa, Gabriel Santiago, Ernie Santiago, Migdalia Castro, Alfreda Edwards, Brian Wingate, and Carlton Staggers.
Two alderwomen, Yale’s Sarah Eidelson and Fair Haven’s Migdalia Castro, turned in the forms Wednesday after receiving calls for comment from the Independent. They both said they had no conflicts to disclose.
Reached by phone, Beaver Hills Alderman Brian Wingate said he had not gotten around to completing it yet, but that he does not have any potential conflicts of interest to list.
“I don’t have nobody who works for the city, man. It’s just me,” he said. “I will be submitting my disclosure in the next day or so.”
The seven other aldermen who had not turned in forms did not return calls for comment.
Those aldermen who did complete forms in some cases went beyond the minimum requirements, listing even extended family members. Here’s a rundown on all the disclosures based on a review of forms on file at the Office of Legislative Services:
• Hill Alderwoman Andrea Jackson-Brooks reported that her son is employed by the city as a cook.
• The Hill’s Alderman Jorge Perez disclosed that he has two nieces working for the city. One is a “youth worker” in the community services department; the other is a cop.
Perez also included a typed addendum explaining that he is a commercial loan officer at the Bank of Southern Connecticut, which “has bid in the past and might bid again in the future for Certificate of Deposit accounts from the City of New Haven” and other banking business. “I am not responsible for, nor do I work in the department/area that would handle transactions with any city (including New Haven) if one were to occur.”
Perez’s addendum goes on to say that his wife is a legal secretary with the Wiggin and Dana law firm, which has in the past represented clients who do business with the city, including Yale and Yale-New Haven Hospital. The firm will not assign his wife to “work for any client that may conduct business with the City or that may seek a service or benefit from the City,” the note reads.
• Under the section of the form asking aldermen to disclose any board they are on the governing body of that has or may receive any funding administered by the city, Downtown Alderman Doug Hausladen wrote, “The Diaper Bank.”
• East Shore Alderman Al Paolillo noted that his father is a state marshal.
• Morris Cove Alderman Sal DeCola reported that his brother is an accountant in the engineering department and his sister works for the police department
• Newhallville Alderwoman Jeanette Morrison wrote that she works per diem for Continuum of Care, which she said is funded by money from the city. She also wrote that her son has applied for a position with Youth at Work, the city summer employment program.
• West River Alderwoman Tyisha Walker put down that her mom works for the city as a teacher.
• Westville’s Sergio Rodriguez disclosed that he recently applied to work for the city as the prison reentry coordinator. He didn’t get the job.
• Beaver Hills Alderwoman Claudette Robinson-Thorpe reported that her sister works for the city as a clerk.
Perez did the right thing by having such a detailed reply--conflict of interest is a serious issue.
I haven't turned mine in yet, although technically I am required, because I have not sat on the Board of Zoning Appeals in over a year after identifying numerous ethical and legal failings of the board to the Mayor. He thought none of these required outside attention and should instead be handled inside the Board.
After I was promised time on the agenda to address the issues, it was removed by City Plan, and I have chosen not to sit on or operate as a member of the Board if they are going to continue to allow the Board to operate so unethically.
Among the complaints: