Legislation committee backs ordinance creating case-by-case residency waivers for department heads

The New Haven Board of Alders legislation committee on May 12 voted to forward an amended ordinance that would let the mayor and personnel director seek case-specific residency exceptions for positions governed by the charter's residency and elector rules.

The measure, an amendment to section 2-221 of the city code (ordinance 2026-0162), creates a documented, case-by-case process: the mayor transmits a written recommendation; the personnel director reviews recruitment efforts and certifies whether criteria and hardship factors are met; and the Board of Alders takes a final vote on the specific request.

Supporters, including city recruitment staff, said strict residency requirements have blocked otherwise-qualified applicants and left essential posts vacant for extended periods. "Strict residency requirements have often deter[red] high performing candidates from applying," presenter Sean Madison told the committee, urging members to adopt a narrowly tailored waiver process. Personnel Director Susan Baldwin and an HR representative said the city uses Google Jobs, Indeed, LinkedIn and professional association postings and that targeted recruitment still yields relatively low shares of resident applicants for certain technical and licensed roles.

Several department leaders and HR officials offered examples of long vacancies. "We were at risk of losing our deputy at the time," said Michael Piscatelli, the city's economic development administrator, describing the 2022 departure of a long-serving building official and the operational risk that followed. City staff and the chief administrative officer told the committee that some public-safety and inspection roles require specific state certifications and are difficult to fill locally.

Opponents and some residents urged caution. Miguel Goodman, speaking for Hill North, warned that an exceptions process could become a backdoor to erode the charter standard: "If you leave here, you should live in New Haven," he said, arguing that residency aligns officials' stakes with residents'. Others raised concerns about fairness, disparate impact and the need for transparency in decision-making.

Dr. Gwendolyn B. Williams, director of Youth and Recreation, described personal housing pressures that forced her to split time between New Haven and an out-of-city home and urged the committee to preserve a pathway for individuals in similar circumstances. "I don't believe that my residency should diminish the work that I have done for this city," she said.

Committee members debated scope (new hires versus incumbents), whether deputies should be included, and whether the process should require a fixed recruitment timeline before a waiver is sought. Staff recommended flexibility rather than a single fixed cutoff and pledged to supply documented recruitment evidence to the Board for each request. The committee asked staff for a list of all city roles subject to residency requirements and corresponding job descriptions.

After deliberations the committee approved an amendment to replace duplicative language and to make the waiver pathway apply to "roles subject to residency and elector requirements under Article 2 Section 12 of the charter." The committee then voted to give the amended ordinance a favorable recommendation to the full Board of Alders; the committee did not record a roll-call vote tally in the hearing record.

Next steps: The ordinance, as amended in committee, will be considered by the full Board of Alders at a later meeting; the committee invited further written testimony and asked staff to provide the requested role-by-role chart so members can refine criteria before final adoption.