Mayoral Candidates Cast Their ​“True Votes”

First of two parts on mayoral campaign issues.
You’ve already voted on dozens of the tough policy questions facing New Haven’s next mayor. Now the two candidates seeking to fill that job have voted, too.

The two candidates, Democrat Toni Harp and independent Justin Elicker, face off in next Tuesday’s election to succeed retiring 20-term incumbent Mayor John DeStefano.

Over the months that they’ve campaigned for votes, New Haven Independent readers have been casting votes on policy questions ranging from downtown zoning and grading schoolteachers to one-way streets, police ​“hold-downs” at nightclubs, and the future of the Dixwell Community ​“Q” House.

They cast the votes in online elections called ​“True Vote” accompanying Independent articles on the issues. The election’s winner will face many of these questions come Jan. 1.

Harp and Elicker have already detailed their positions on a wide range of campaign issues.( Click here, here, here, and here for a series of issues-based interviews they and their two Democratic primary opponents did in September, for instance.)

Now the Independent asked the two candidates to cast their own True Votes on the same issues that readers weighed in on.

They did. On questions ranging from public-financing and term limits to the proposed sale of the Shubert theater, they didn’t always agree with each other — or the majority of Independent True Voters.

Read on to see how they voted and to link to articles with detailed accounts of the issues at hand.

Should 10 downtown streets be made 2‑way?

A new city proposal calls for doing just that; read about that here. Around two-thirds of Independent True Voters agreed with the plan. Elicker voted ​“yes,” as well. Harp said she’d vote yes as long ​“as long as the streets are wide enough” for bikes and emergency vehicles, and as long as ​“there isn’t a public-policy reason not to.”

Do you agree with the thrust of proposed new zoning rules?

Newly proposed zoning rules would make downtown denser without new towers, by reducing the side yard, parking and open space requirements; read about that here. Most of the True Voters agreed with the idea. So did Harp and Elicker.

Should student surveys be used to grade teachers? Just for informal feedback? Or not at all?

The city has been avoiding a state requirement to factor student surveys numerically into teacher evaluations; read about that here. A majority of True Voters agreed with the city that the surveys should inform teachers and evaluators, but not comprise part of a numerical score. Around a quarter of voters backed the state position.

Both Harp and Elicker agreed with the ​“informal feedback” position. Elicker added that the question doesn’t have an easy answer because student feedback is ​“invaluable.” ​“I was a teacher. Some of my best feedback came from students” during formal ​“circle” sit-downs with students, teachers and administrators.

Should the Shubert deal be approved?

The city wants to sell the Shubert to the not-for-profit that manages it, and bond an additional $1.4 million to fund overdue repairs to the building; read about that here. Over 60 percent of True Voters approved the idea. Harp supported it, too. Elicker said he’d vote yes only if the city is not required to bond additional money on top of the original $1.4 million (something the current proposed agreement has the city doing).

Should aldermen have veto power over mayoral appointees?

A referendum question on next Tuesday’s ballot would amend the city’s charter to allow that to happen; read about that here. The True Vote has run about 2 – 1 in favor of the idea. Elicker voted no. Harp said she’d vote yes for appointees to boards and commissions as well as department heads, but not for mayoral staff.

Should high schools require yoga?

One New Haven high school, New Haven Academy, started doing that this year with its freshman class; read about that here. Some 60 percent of True Voters disagreed with the idea. Harp supported it. Elicker voted against requiring yoga. ​“High schools should require some activity that has both physical and mental health benefits,” he said. ​“It’s not just yoga that does that.”

Should New Haven build a new Q House & combine it with Stetson Library?

A new proposal calls for tearing down the abandoned Dixwell Community ​“Q” house and rebuilding it on the same spot, and moving the Stetson Library there as well; read about that here. More than three-quarters of True Voters agreed with the plan as of earlier this week. Harp declared herself ​“intrigued” with the idea but said she wants to see the details, including the financial feasibility, before weighing in. Same with Elicker. ​“Yes, we need a Q House,” he said. ​“It’s a question of how we do it.”

Should police reinstitute ​“hold-downs” at downtown clubs?

The city is considering bringing back the practice (which involves allowing club owners to pick a specific cop for extended extra-duty work), canceled by a previous police chief over concerns about corruption, to address the deadly violence at city nightclubs. This article offers details as well as arguments for and against the idea. Some 60 percent of True Voters called for bringing the practice back. Elicker said he’d vote yes as long as the police also improved supervision of officers on hold-downs. Harp said she’d instead favor a ​“hybrid” version in which extra-duty cops rotate periodically at specific clubs rather than hold down gigs permanently.

The Democracy Fund a) makes government cleaner & prevents conflicts of interest and wasteful contracts. b) wastes public money needed in tough economic times for helping young people.

84.66 percent of True Voters voted ​“a” in reference to New Haven’s voluntary public-financing system for mayoral campaigns. So did Elicker. Harp voted ​“b.” ​“I don’t think it has anything to do with ethics,” she said of pubic financing. ​“It engages more people in the overall operation of campaigns. It allows more people” to run for office. Those are good goals, she said. ​“In tough economic times we shouldn’t do it because we can’t afford to.”

How much homework should high school freshmen do each night?

New Haven’s new schools superintendent has raised that question and intends to pursue it. Read about that here.

Given four options, two-thirds of True Voters voted for 30 minutes to 2 1/4 hours. So did Elicker. Harp joined about 20 percent of True Voters in selecting 2 1/4 to 3 hours.

Should New Haven have mayoral term limits?

Harp and 22 percent of True Voters voted no. Elicker and the rest of the True Voters (some choosing four-year limits, some eight) voted yes. More from the candidates (and their Democratic primary opponents) here.

At its athletic fields, Yale should: a) … spray pesticides. b) … use goats. c) … let everything grow.

This is actually a burning question right now for homeowners in a pocket of Westville. Read about that here. Elicker, like 55 percent of True Voters, went for the goats. Harp said she would ​“explore” a variety of alternatives to pesticides.

Should New Haven adopt instant-runoff voting?

Ward 25’s Democratic Committee experimented with the idea — which is complicated, and which aims to enable voters both to pick their top choice in a crowded field without having to worry about helping to elect the worst candidate by default — during this year’s candidate endorsement process. Ward 13’s committee shot down an effort to do the same. Read about that here and here. Both Harp and Elicker voted ​“yes,” as did 67 percent of True Voters.

Should students stay back if they miss 20 days of school?

Toni Harp criticized Hillhouse High School Principal (and primary mayoral opponent) Kermit Carolina for eliminating that rule. She and 55 percent of True Voters voted ​“yes” to bring the rule back. Elicker voted and 40 percent voted ​“no.” ​“It oversimplifies the issue,” he said. (Another 5 percent voted ​“Beats Me.”) Click here for a story laying out the issue.

Should New Haven open neighborhood mini-City Halls?

Harp made that suggestion on the campaign trail, calling for housing the outposts at police substations; she voted ​“yes” to the question, as did 34 percent of True Voters. Elicker, who instead proposed enabling citizens to handle more interactions with City Hall, including filing more forms, through the web (and at computer kiosks in neighborhood libraries), voted ​“no” along with 62 percent of True Voters. Click here for a story detailing their positions on how to code City Hall 2.0.

Should the city clerk position … a) remain part-time? b) become full-time? c) be eliminated?

Elicker joined some 58 percent of True Voters (at last count) in voting ​“c.” Harp voted ​“b.” The position, the second-highest citywide elected job, is currently technically part-time. It pays $46,597 a year. The office has crucial responsibilities, like maintaining land records and administering dog licenses, campaign filings, and absentee ballots. A full-time deputy, Sally Brown, runs the office day to day.

Should the state proceed with expanding Keno to cities?

Another candidate made this a hot topic for a while in the Democratic mayoral primary. Elicker joined 70 percent of True Voters in voting ​“no.” Harp disagreed: ​“I don’t see what difference it makes. We already gamble.”

Should people be allowed to park on their lawns?

This arose in June as a hot topic for city zoners. Both Harp and Elicker voted no. (“I think it’s very ugly,” Elicker remarked.) 61 percent of True Voters voted yes.

Should the city sell Yale 2 streets for $3 million?

The city actually did make that sale this year, of portions of High and Wall Streets. In the lead-up to that vote, 60 percent of True Voters cast ​“no votes” on the idea; 34 percent voted yes. Elicker and Harp both said they’d have voted no. (Elicker, an alderman, actually did so.) Harp said she would have supported a 99-year lease as opposed to an outright sale.

In the 9th Square, the city should … a) make a new investment. b) let the market find the solution.

That question arose this year when the developers of the downtown apartment and retail district asked lenders (including the city) to forgive more than $10 million in unpaid interest and sought another 15 years worth of tax breaks. That request remains on the table. Read about the pros and cons here, here and here.

Both Harp and Elicker voted ​“b,” as did 82 percent of True Voters. Harp, who took the position when the issue arose in May, argued that the pending deal to have a Montreal firm develop the former Coliseum site will raise property values throughout the district, making an even stronger case for any bail-outs or new relief for the developers.

Previous stories on mayoral campaign issues (from the primary):

• Where the candidates stand on housing and neighborhood development
• Where the candidates stand on school reform
• Where the candidates stand on public safety
• Where the candidates stand on management and budget questions