Should city residents get preference when applying for city jobs? Members of the New Haven, Connecticut-based Aldermanic Black and Hispanic Caucus, in a vote Monday, backed a proposal to give city residents extra "preference" points on entrance exams for city jobs. A public forum on the topic is set for Thursday [September 14].

The New Haven Civil Service Board is considering rewriting the rules on how competitive exams for entry-level city jobs are scored. The board has proposed extra "preference points" giving city residents a better chance against their suburban counterparts.

Some applaud the idea as a way to keep jobs inside the city. Others say such preference weakens the applicant pool by enabling some applicants to be unfairly boosted to a level where they can compete with higher-scoring counterparts. The matter, which has been debated in the past with the police and fire unions, will be the topic of a public forum.

The Black and Hispanic Caucus, hearing about the public forum for the first time on Monday [September 11], decided to take a stand on the matter at its meeting that evening.

In general, the Caucus supports any proposal that encourages or requires residency – such as the requirement that the assistant chief of police must live within city limits. The city has been challenged on this practice before, said Caucus President and Hill Alderman Jorge Perez. Perez said the city can require residency only if the fire or police union agrees to that requirement. Which they don't: The unions have opposed such requirements for being exclusive and weakening the workforce.

With the residency requirement out of the question on entry-level jobs, the caucus liked the idea of giving New Haveners a boost on entrance tests.

"Most of the people who would gain points would be our constituents," said Hill Alderwoman Jackie James.

Perez said legal battles have ensued when cities allow failing-grade applicants to have their test scores bumped to a passing grade via preference points. To avoid this practice, said Perez, the city would give preference points only to those who pass the test. And the extra points must be "reasonable" to hold up in court, said Perez.

The Caucus voted to issue a letter to the Civil Service Board saying, "We do support that they grant preference points to New Haven residents. We would like to see as many points given as would be defendable in court."

Fair Haven Heights Alderman Gerald Antunes supported the idea with skepticism: He worried people would establish residency temporarily, then move out of town once they got the job. Hill Alderwoman Andrea Jackson-Brooks agreed: "There's no teeth in this – you can just get points and move out."

"Are you going to oppose this, then?" asked Perez. "You don't punish the majority in favor of a few."

The motion passed, with one "nay.”