Yale

Soft on Yale, Hard on New Haven

Mayor Justin Elicker made a campaign promise in 2019 to have Yale pay $50 million per year instead of paying taxes to the city of New Haven. He settled for roughly $10 million more than what Mayor Harp had already negotiated during her incumbency. As a result, Yale’s tax-free empire continues to expand, eroding our tax base and leaving residents to foot the bill.

Steve Orosco is calling out Elicker’s failure to deliver and pledging to fight for tax fairness, accountability, and a better deal for New Haven families.

The Problem

• Broken Promise: Elicker, a Yale alum, settled for less than half of his $50M pledge and even sold city land to Yale in the process.
• Yale Buying Up the City: 40% of New Haven’s land is now tax-exempt, including commercial properties Yale owns and profits from.
• Residents Paying the Price: As Yale’s $40b endowment grows profiting over $2b annually in investment income, property taxes on families and small businesses keep climbing.

Steve’s Plan

• Sue Yale: Use proven legal strategies from other cities to challenge Yale’s tax exemptions on commercial properties and profit-driven research.
• Push Federal Action: Urge Connecticut’s congressional delegation to support an endowment tax that sends revenue directly to New Haven.
• Community Impact Fee: Propose fees for large-scale Yale research and commercial ventures that use city infrastructure.
• Constitutional Reform: Advocate for a state constitutional convention to end special tax protections for Yale.

Why It Matters

• Fairness: Yale utilizes city services such as police, fire, and roads, while paying a fraction of what it should.
• Local Impact: Less tax revenue means fewer resources for schools, public safety, and city services.
• Accountability: New Haven needs a mayor who will stand up to powerful institutions, not settle for less.