The Board of Alders overwhelmingly elected Tyisha Walker-Myers to another two-year term as the legislative body’s president on Monday evening. The board kicked off its first full meeting of 2026 with a series of board leadership elections. Some new starts were evident in City Hall’s Alder manic Chamber as the room buzzed with “Happy New Year” wishes. Five new alders — Ward 1’s Elias Theodore, Ward 8’s Amanda Martinelli, Ward 13’s Mildred Melendez, Ward 16’s Magda Natal, and Ward 18’s Leland Moore — cast their first-ever votes. The Ward 7 seat, recently Eli Sabin’s, sat empty. Former alder Ellen Cupo watched as a regular member of the public for the first time in a long time. Otherwise, by the end of the meeting, not much had changed about the Board of Alders. After reelecting Walker-Myers as board president, the board unanimously voted to keep on Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison as President Pro Tempore and Annex Alder Sal Punzo as Third Officer. Westville/Amity Alder Richard Furlow continued to serve as the board’s majority leader. Walker-Myers, who represents West River’s Ward 23, has served as board president since 2015, after her predecessor, Jorge Perez, stepped down to become the state’s banking commissioner. A union steward of Local 35, she first became alder in 2011 amidst a wave of labor organizers elected to the local legislature that year. On Monday, Dixwell/Newhallville Alder Troy Streater was the sole alder to vocally support Walker-Myers’ reelection on the floor. He said that she’s continually reached out to him to ensure he had sufficient support as a an alder. “She runs a tight meeting,” Streater said. “She keeps it fair and if things get heated, she don’t add fuel. She brings it down and back to the work and to the people we represent.” Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller cast the sole vote against Walker-Myers’ reelection. “I have concerns about the way the board is run and that’s why I voted no,” she said after the meeting. She declined to elaborate on those concerns, stating that she relayed her feedback to Walker-Myers privately. In an interview after the meeting, Walker-Myers said she plans to continue leading the board in prioritizing affordable housing creation over the next two years. “People that grew up here should be able to afford to live here,” she said. In particular, Walker-Myers touted alders’ negotiations with developers to advocate for more below-market units in new housing complexes. The approach “is really case-by-case. It depends on what kind of leverage you have,” she said. “I don’t want to have a conversation [about supporting a development] unless it includes affordable housing.” Walker-Myers said she also intends to continue leading the board by supporting alders not only with their political obligations but with the personal hardships that at least some of the 30 board members will inevitably face. Within the last two-year term, she helped alders navigate moments of illness and grief, among other challenges, including the death of the late Beaver Hills Alder Tom Ficklin. “I value those kinds of relationships,” she said. “Life don’t stop because you’re an alder.” The post Walker-Myers Reelected Alder Prez appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less