9 Approved For Charter Revision Commission

The former head of the city’s anti-blight agency, the director of a prominent college scholarship program, a retired former probate judge, and two alders from opposite sides of the city are some of the New Haveners tasked with reviewing the city’s fundamental governing document in the months ahead.

That’s thanks to a unanimous vote that local legislators took Tuesday night during the first full Board of Alders meeting of the year. The meeting was held in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.

As part of the once-every-decade charter review process, alders appointed nine New Haveners to the newly empaneled Charter Revision Commission. 

The commission will be tasked with reviewing proposed changes to the city’s founding document and creating a set of recommendations. 

Those recommendations will then go before the full Board of Alders, which will come up with potential changes for voters to review on their ballots in November.

Among other priorities determined by the Board of Alders, the Charter Revision Commission will review proposals to bump up the mayor’s and alders’ terms from two years to four years each, and to remove residency requirements for some city department heads.

According to Tuesday’s vote, New Haven’s 2023 Charter Revision Commissioners are:

• Jack Keyes, a retired probate judge.

• Michael Smart, the city clerk.

• Patricia Melton, New Haven Promise’s CEO.

• Richard Furlow, a Westville/Amity alder and majority leader.

• Sal DeCola, a Morris Cove alder.

• Sandra Trevino, a former head of JUNTA For Progressive Action.

• Serena Neal-Sanjurjo, a former head of the Livable City Initiative.

• Anne Schwartz.

• Carol Coles.

Per a state statute, the commission has to comprise between 5 and 15 people, up to one third of whom can be public officials and up to half of whom can belong to the same political party. 

The commission is tasked with completing a final report on the forthcoming charter by May 15, 2023. The date for the commission’s first meeting has not yet been set.