As Republicans, we believe that all functions of government should be assigned to the smallest and most local level of government that can accomplish these functions. For this reason, we regard the efficient and effective governance of the City of New Haven to be our highest political priority. As New Haven Republicans, we are committed to enhancing the quality of life in our city by proposing a pro-growth economic agenda, advocating for good governance, pushing for excellence in education, streamlining the city’s budget, and promoting public safety. To achieve these ends, we therefore proudly propose the following policy agenda for the New Haven we love.
Restoring Economic Prosperity
A strong and vibrant economy is essential to the quality of life for all people. Government should be committed to providing a fair environment for business to flourish. Therefore:
- New Haven should work with the State of Connecticut to ease the tax and regulatory burden on individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Connecticut’s high taxes and oppressive regulatory system have made it one of the least business-friendly states in the country, and this must change.
- New Haven should improve relations with developers and investors to revitalize our neighborhoods.
- We support an efficient public transportation system including a locally-managed microbus system with new hubs particularly between the train station and medical center area.
- New Haven should provide adequate parking at a fair price for large buildings to protect street parking for the older existing houses of the city and not politicize parking spaces for specific interests. In order to attract consumers to our area’s businesses, we believe New Haven should make recommendations not to charge for parking on Friday evenings and weekends.
Establishing Good Governance
We believe government is accountable to the people, not to a party, union, or elected official. Transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership are essential to this end. Therefore:
- The Board of Alders should allow a public comment period prior to every general meeting in Alders chambers.
- All Board of Alders decision-making should be made in public.
- The city management teams should be autonomous from the mayor’s office.
Reforming Our Schools
We believe a quality education is vital to every child’s success. Parents should be closely involved in their child’s education, and should have the right to choose which school their child attends. Therefore:
- The Board of Education should allow for vouchers and school choice for all families.
- Schools should promote direct parental involvement with their child’s schooling.
- The Board must prioritize the hiring of the highest quality educators and administrators. We also believe the Board should reward successful educators with competitive salaries, as well as reduce administrative costs and personnel.
- The Board should adhere to the city’s charter on all Board of Education membership issues.
Ensuring Fiscal Responsibility
Fiscal discipline is synonymous with good governance. This means keeping city expenditures in check, preventing overtime abuse, and maintaining a rainy day fund for future generations. Therefore:
- We support public commissions publishing a comprehensive study on government contracts and long-term expenditures.
- New Haven should institute a hiring freeze for all non-police, fire, and education employees, specifically in City Hall.
Enforcing Law and Order
We are committed to making New Haven a safer place to live and raise a family. We strongly support our brave men and women in emergency services, and believe they should be given every tool necessary to properly and fairly enforce the law. Therefore:
- We believe the New Haven Police Department should continue to improve its relationship with our neighborhoods.
- To promote shared accountability, we believe all police officers should wear body cameras.
- Overtime should be awarded to police officers and firefighters according to their merit.
- The police should enforce civility ordinances including noise violations and ATV usage.
