NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — It’s been less than a week since New Haven’s new mayor was sworn in but Justin Elicker is hitting the ground running.
He just released the report put together by his transition team.
For two months, the mayor’s transition team say they ate, slept, and breathed in every last word from constituents. So this is their baby.
More than 50 pages explaining the goals of the city and they didn’t hold back at the City Hall press conference on Tuesday morning.
GOALS for @MayorElicker: Read the 56 pages that his transition team put together.
— Stephanie Simoni (@StephanieSimoni) January 7, 2020
Link here:https://t.co/4CIerh8o73@WTNH
“Mayor Elicker, you encouraged us to kick your ass if we needed to and so we worked really hard on this report and just know we will be holding you accountable with a lot of love,” said Kica Matos, Co-Chair Transition Team.
“We will hold his feet to the fire to make sure what the city is asking to be done, gets done,” said Rep. Robyn Porter, Co-Chair Transition Team.
The co-chair says the goals for the mayor’s administration fall under three umbrellas. One, good government, like budget economic development. Next, community health, including education and arts. And lastly, rights and responsibility. That targets transparency, public safety, and immigration issues.
Some could be quick fixes like wiping away late fees for library books. Loftier goals are fixing the city’s finances.
“We’re going to have to make some difficult decisions. I think at the end of the day it’s going to be very difficult for us to cut our way out of this problem,” said Rep. Robyn Porter, Co-Chair Transition Team.
Also, more than once leaders stressed teaching the “whole child” with cognitive, social and psychological needs.
“I’m more optimistic as an educator than I’ve been in a long time,” said Dr. Ed Joyner/New Haven Board Of Education.
So what happens next? Mayor Elicker says he’ll talk with department heads about this report to make sure they stay on task.
