Nathaniel Rosenberg file photo
CRB admin Aly Heimer: “If the board ends up with an overage and the city tries to reclaim uncommitted funds, putting it into a CD helps protect it."
The Civilian Review Board voted Monday night to invest $400,000 of its budget into a 12-month certificate of deposit (CD), in an effort to generate additional income to support its police oversight work — and to protect the funds from being reclaimed by the city.
The investment decision followed a lengthy debate among board members during the hybrid Zoom and in-person meeting over whether to lock up nearly half a million dollars in city-allocated funds or return the money amid a broader municipal budget crunch.
The board ultimately voted in favor of the 12-month CD, which will yield just over 3 percent interest — bringing in an estimated $12,000 over the next year.
Board members said the $400,000 came from unspent funds carried over from prior fiscal year allocations. CRB member Jane Comins told the Independent that the city has allocated $150,000 annually to the CRB for the past several years.
The board, which provides civilian oversight of investigations into alleged misconduct by New Haven police officers, has struggled in recent years to maintain consistent funding for legal counsel, outside investigators, and member training.
According to board records, the CRB has received $150,000 in annual allocations each fiscal year since 2022, with an initial allocation of $200,000 in its first year. Those funds were designated to support staffing a coordinator and administrator, securing legal counsel and investigative services, and covering board training and activities.
As of May 1, the CRB had approximately $770,330 in its account, according to meeting minutes, though some of that total may have been spent since then. An additional $150,000 from the 2025 – 26 city budget is expected to arrive soon — bringing the projected account total close to $900,000. Board administrator Alyson Heimer advised that investing $400,000 in a 12-month CD would allow a portion of the funds to earn interest.
The board has not yet hired a coordinator, and Heimer currently serves as the only staff member. A contract with legal counsel selected in March 2025 remains pending, and the board is in the process of choosing a vendor from recent proposals for investigative services.
Members in support of Monday’s decision framed the CD investment as a strategy to bolster the board’s long-term financial independence.
“I don’t think we should give any money back to the city because the city has been strained for a minute — and they know they’ve been strained,” said board member Jean Jenkins. “If they want to take the money, they’ll take it regardless. But I’m not in favor of handing anything over voluntarily, especially when we don’t know what we’re going to get next year.”
“I’m absolutely against giving the money back,” Jenkins continued. “Because when push comes to shove, they’ll just go through all the committees and take what they want anyway.”
Others cited recent city fiscal challenges and urged the board to consider returning a portion of the unspent funds instead of investing them.
“I think we’re sitting on way too much money,” said Comins. “We should be talking about returning some of this back to the city.”
The board members ultimately voted in favor of the investment, with Comins casting the lone “no” vote. Members debated whether to invest $200,000, $300,000, or $400,000, ultimately opting for the highest amount in order to secure the maximum possible return. Board members clarified during the discussion that the CD would not prevent access to the funds if absolutely necessary, though withdrawing early would mean forfeiting any accrued interest.
Under city policy, interest generated through the CD will remain with the board and cannot be reclaimed by City Hall.
CRB administrator Heimer noted that investing the funds would not only earn additional income for training and investigative needs, but also limit the city’s ability to “sweep back” idle funds at the end of the fiscal year.
“When we put money into a CD, it basically locks that money down for the term,” Heimer said during the meeting. “If the board ends up with an overage and the city tries to reclaim uncommitted funds, putting it into a CD helps protect it. We can still access the money early if needed, but we’d have to forfeit the interest.”
Anyone interested in serving on the CRB or on any other city board or commission can send an email to Alex Guznhay at [email protected] to apply for a spot. The CRB currently has six vacancies.