Dear Members of the Connecticut General Assembly,
As leaders in the city of New Haven, we are writing to ask you to vote yes on Senate Bill 414 for our community.
Our city is the proud home of Yale University. Like other universities, Yale’s academic properties are tax-exempt. That part of the law is clear and simple. And SB 414 does not change that.
But the law governing the tax status of Yale’s commercial properties is not clear. And this ambiguity in the law makes our city’s ability to provide basic services dependent upon voluntary payments made by Yale that are subject to change at any time.
Indeed, Yale’s ongoing opposition to the bill demonstrates the potential for such a change. S.B. 414 will clarify the rules dictating which commercial properties are taxable and which are tax-exempt. New Haven needs that clarification.
We are glad to join our entire State Delegation, Mayor Toni Harp, and the New Haven Board of Alders in voicing our support for S.B. 414.
We invite you to join us in moving this important item forward for New Haven.
Thank you for your consideration,
Imam Kashif Abdul-Karim, Muhammad Islamic Center, 870 Dixwell Avenue
Kenya Adams-Martin, Ward 10 DTC Co-Chair, 26 Ridge Street
German Andrade, Skin Art by Dreks, 117 Grand Avenue
Ellen Andrews, CT Health Policy Project, 760 Chapel Street
Osman Balouk, Triple A Pizza, 383 Whalley Avenue
Dr. Abigail Benitez, Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents Board Member Cordalie Benoit, New Haven Board of Assessment Appeal, 19 Court Street
Ethel Berger, Ward 19 DTC Co-Chair, 50 Autumn Street
CEO Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix, 756 Chapel Street
Pastor Daniel Bland, Mt. Calvary Revival Center, 393 Legion Avenue
Tyrone Bradley, Ward 12 DTC Co-Chair, 1775 Quinnipiac Avenue
Pastor Charles Brewer III, Trinity Temple Church, 260 Raydon Road
Rabbi Herbert Brockman, Congregation Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Road
Billy Bromage, New Haven Food Policy Council, 49 West Rock Avenue
Pastor Eugene Brunson, Wayfairing Ministries, 29 Marne Street
Pastor Miguel Caban, Iglesia de Dios, 588 Ferry Street
Clifford Carr, Ward 1 DTC Co-Chair, Vanderbilt Hall
Reverend Frank Carter, St. Bernadette’s Church, 385 Townsend Avenue
President Jayuan Carter, Executive Ecoscaping, 106 Poplar Street
Executive Director Addys Castillo, City Wide Youth Coalition, 760 Chapel Street
Pastor Miguel Castro, Church of God, 15 Church Street
Pastor Jose Jean Champagne, Church of God of Prophecy, 17 Farren Avenue
Lucas Codognolla, CT Students for a Dream, 69 Wilson Street
Jess Corbett, Ward 28 DTC Co-Chair, 359 Norton Street
Celestino Cordova, Ward 16 DTC Co-Chair, 47 Woolsey Street
Lee Cruz, Fair Haven Community Management Team, 29 Clinton Avenue
Cristina Cruz-Uribe, Ward 9 DTC Co-Chair, 106 Bishop Street
Victoria Dancy, Ward 22 DTC Co-Chair, 130 Winchester Street
Gabrielle Diaz, Ward 22 DTC Co-Chair, Timothy Dwight College Peter Dodge, Edge of the Woods, 379 Whalley Avenue
Kimberly Edwards, Ward 19 DTC Co-Chair, 122 Sheffield Avenue
Corey Evans, Southern Connecticut State University College Democrats, 501 Crescent Street
Reverend Gail Faithfull, Presbyterian Southern New England, 195 Summer Hill Road
Executive Director Lindsay Farrell, Working Families Party, Connecticut, 120 Dwight Street
President Anstress Farwell, New Haven Urban Design League, 129 Church Street
Suite 419 Mark Firla, Ward 14 DTC Co-Chair, 32 Chambers Street
Joelle Fishman, New Haven Peoples Center, 37 Howe Street
Joseph Fuce, Ward 11 DTC Co-Chair, 339 Eastern Street
Chris Garaffa, ANSWER Coalition, 76 Mechanic Street
Darnell Goldson, New Haven Board of Education, 66 West Hills Road
Reverend Victor Gomez, Church of God, Ferry Street
Clifton Graves, Fresh Start, City of New Haven, 165 Church Street
Elder Harvey Gregory, Faith Temple Revival Center, 834 Dixwell Avenue
President Jesse Hardy, Homeless Outreach Project, 240 Starr Street
Brenda Harris, Ward 8 DTC Co-Chair, 191 Franklin Street
Renee Haywood, Ward 11 DTC Co-Chair, 315 Eastern Street
Pastor Armando Hernandez, Iglesia Emanuel Camino de Restauracion, 620 Grand Avenue
Elder Ron Hurt, Deliverance Temple Church, 584 Congress Avenue
Robert Jacobson, College Street Cycles, 254 College Street
Jane Joo, Sylvan Cleaners, 363 Whalley Avenue
Dr. Edward Joyner, NAACP Executive Board, 130 Judwin Street
Pastor Tim Keyl, Bethesda Lutheran Church, 305 St. Ronan Street
Ihssane Khatib, CTYP – Connecticut Young Professionals, 6 Lombard Street
Pastor Thomas Kim, First and Summerfield United Methodist Church, 425 College Street
Jane Kinity, Ward 2 DTC Co-Chair, 475 Elm Street
Pastor Robert Kinney, Mount Hope Temple, 555 Dixwell Avenue Lisa Kinney-Bajua, Wash Tub, 40 Foster Street
Reverend Megan Lloyd Joiner, Unitarian Society of New Haven, 700 Hartford Turnpike
Henry Lowendorf, Ward 27 DTC Co-Chair, 42 Young Street
Ruben Mallma, St. Martin of Porres Daycare LLC, 57 Main Street
Nando Manim, La Molienda, 113 Grand Avenue
Alfred Marder, New Haven Peace Council, 165 Church Street
Pastor Betty Marks, New Growth Praise Center COGIC, 308 Dixwell Avenue
Helen Martin-Dawson, Ward 6 DTC Co-Chair, 310 Liberty Street
Darnell McClam, McClam Funeral Home, 95 Dixwell Avenue
Mildred Melendez, Ward 13 DTC Co-Chair, 117 Lexington Avenue
Lisa Milone, East Shore Community Management Team, 21 Anthony Drive
Apologist Marcey Moore, In Faith Advice, 191 Whalley Avenue
Reverend Henry Morris, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 405 Fountain Street
Lynette Murphy, Ward 2 DTC Co-Chair, 590 Elm Street
Artie Natalino, Ward 13 DTC Co-Chair, 135 Summit Street
President Hector Otero, Hispanic Ministers Association, 99 East Pearl Street
Jesse Perry, Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 100 Webster Avenue
Pastor Bernice Peterson, Glorified Deliverance Church, 604 Dixwell Avenue
Geneva Pollack, Ward 21 DTC Co-Chair, 94 Thompson Street
Jerry Poole, Ward 23 DTC Co-Chair, 708 George Street
Kenneth Reveiz, Ward 14 DTC Co-Chair, 58 Atwater Street
Vice-Chair Carmen Reyes, New Haven Democratic Party, 1 Brewery Street
Christian Rice, Ward 1 DTC Co-Chair, Jonathan Edwards College William Roach, CT@Your Convenience, 121 Grand Avenue
Chair Joseph Rodriguez, Connecticut Hispanic Democratic Caucus, 466 Middletown Avenue
Maria Rodriguez, Ward 3 DTC Co-Chair, 622 Howard Avenue Evelyn Rodriguez, Ward 14 DTC Co-Chair, 79 Arch Street
Miguel Rodriguez, Mi Casa Realty, 154 Farren Avenue
Major Ruth, Ward 29 DTC Co-Chair, 1510 Ella T. Grasso Boulevard
Reverend Gerard Schmitz, St. Michael Church, 29 Wooster Place
Kampton Singh, Ward 5 DTC Co-Chair, 145 Kimberly Avenue
Reverend Dr. Rochelle Stackhouse, Church of the Redeemer UCC, 185 Cold Spring Street
Gary Stewart, Ward 24 DTC Co-Chair, 147 Norton Street
Kenneth Suzuki, Ward 10 DTC Co-Chair, 95 Cottage Street
Mary Thigpen, Ward 12 DTC Co-Chair, 47 Assumption Street
Pastor Margaret Thomas, Harvest Time Ministry, 100 Columbus Street
Clython Thompson, Reaves Barber Shop , 51 Dixwell Avenue
Barbara Tinney, New Haven Family Alliance, 230 Ashmun Street
Audrey Tyson, Ward 29 DTC Co-Chair, 471 Whalley Avenue
Janis Underwood, Ward 25 DTC Co-Chair, 73 Woodside Terrace
Barbara Vereen, Ward 20 DTC Co-Chair, 80 Pond Street
President David Via, P.R.E.P. Inc., 1083 Whalley Avenue
Nadine Wall, Ward 7 DTC Co-Chair, 65 Dwight Street
Frankie White, Ward 23 DTC Co-Chair, 385 Orchard Street
Rodney Williams, Ward 21 DTC Co-Chair, 464 Dixwell Avenue
Pastor Walter Williams III, Walk of Faith Church, 104 Fairmont Avenue
Ana Winn, Ward 8 DTC Co-Chair, 58 Bradley Street