CONTRIBUTED
Alderwoman Diane Stroman
ANSONIA — A newly-elected member of the Board of Aldermen is suggesting the city use gender-neutral titles.
“I propose replacing the term “alderman” with the gender-neutral term ‘Alders,’” Alderwoman Diane Stroman said in a letter to Mayor David Cassetti Jan. 7.
The letter was included as a communication in the agenda packet for the Tuesday, Jan. 14 meeting of Ansonia’s legislative body.
The Aldermen formally accepted Stroman’s letter but did not take action on it. A discussion could take place at a later date.
Joshua Shuart, the president of the board, said he was advised by corporation counsel John Marini that such a change might have to come through a revision of the Ansonia City Charter.
Stroman suggested the Board of Aldermen become the Board of Alders, and that an individual member of the board be called “Alderperson.”
“I believe in this day and age, it’s important to move to gender-neutral language and titles,” Stroman wrote in her letter. “By adopting a more modern and inclusive name we demonstrate Ansonia’s commitment in making our city more equitable to all people.”
New Haven refers to its legislative body as the Board of Alders.
Voters in Derby approved a charter revision in 2016 that changed the name of its legislative body to Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen.
In November of last year, voters in Southbury rejected a ballot question that would have given gender-neutral titles to the Board of Selectmen and the First Selectman.
The move to consider dropping exclusively male titles is happening in local government all over the U.S.
Stroman was elected to the board in November. She represents the city’s Fourth Ward. Previously she was Executive Vice President at TEAM, Inc. in Derby until her retirement in 2018. She has been honored many times for her community service to the Valley, including the Valley United Way’s Flynn Humanitarian Award.
