Q&A
Collegial relationships and controversial mailer during Giuliani administration
5:47:33
·
3 min
Council Member Krishnan questions Mastro about his role in maintaining collegial relationships between City Hall and the City Council during the Giuliani administration. The discussion focuses on a controversial publicly funded mailer sent to nearly 1 million New York City residents attacking the City Council.
- Mastro claims he was critical in maintaining a collegial relationship between City Hall and the City Council
- Krishnan brings up a 1998 incident where Mayor Giuliani proposed deep cuts to public services, leading to a budget dispute
- A controversial mailer was sent to 900,000 property owners, accusing the council of setting rates improperly
- Mastro claims he doesn't recall the specific instance and was exiting City Hall at the time
- He acknowledges that such actions are not how he typically conducted himself with the council
Shekhar Krishnan
5:47:33
Let me back up for a second.
5:47:35
You had testified earlier today that you believe you were critical in maintaining a collegial relationship between city hall under the Giuliani administration and the city council.
5:47:45
Is that correct?
Randy Mastro
5:47:48
I I I don't just believe it.
5:47:50
It's what people like Peter Malone and his entire senior staff and others who will testify here, Ken Fisher and others will testify was the case.
5:48:00
Sure.
5:48:01
Martin Greene felt that way too, even though we had our spots.
Shekhar Krishnan
5:48:05
Just asking you, do you believe that it is critical to have a collegiate relationship between the city council and city hall?
5:48:10
Yes or no.
5:48:10
It's a yes or no question.
Randy Mastro
5:48:13
I think we did.
5:48:15
I did.
5:48:16
I did.
Shekhar Krishnan
5:48:17
In 1998, Mayor Giuliani, as Council member Brunar mentioned, proposed deep cuts to public services that the city council opposed, the council passed its own budget to protect these vital services Mair Giuliani vetoed the budget, the city council overrode his veto.
5:48:31
As you know well, did you as deputy mayor to Rudy Giuliani then authorize a publicly funded mail piece sent to nearly 1,000,000 New York City residents attacking the city council and claiming that the city council illegally raised taxes on New Yorkers.
5:48:47
Did you or did you not authorize that mail piece?
Randy Mastro
5:48:50
I don't recall the piece that you're referring to.
5:48:53
But at the time, the administration and the council were and pitched battle over the budget on an issue that
Shekhar Krishnan
5:49:01
so you don't you don't recall.
5:49:02
The answer is you don't recall.
5:49:03
Let me refresh your recollection.
5:49:06
June 13 1998, there was an article titled mayor Ignores Council over property tax.
5:49:12
A mailer was sent to 900,000 property owners, saying, dear taxpayer accusing the council of setting rates in an invalid, improper manner.
5:49:21
Peter Valone, the Speaker of the Council at the time, you mentioned called a blatantly political, this mailer, unnecessarily alarming, and full of falsehoods.
5:49:30
Randy Mastro, the deputy mayor of operations, said the bills had been printed and sent to private mail order houses and would be received by most taxpayers today or Monday.
5:49:40
Quote, Mister Mastro said, the mailing is largely completed.
5:49:43
There's nothing the city council can do.
5:49:46
In this role as corporation counts on Mister Mastro, where you represent not just city hall, but the city council do you believe that such an action is an appropriate way for city hall to respond to the city council to maintain collegial relationships?
Randy Mastro
5:50:01
I I I, again, I don't recall the specific instance you're talking about.
5:50:08
I've reminded you,
Shekhar Krishnan
5:50:08
though, so you could answer if you believe it.
5:50:10
Presently whether it's it's appropriate or not to act that way.
Randy Mastro
5:50:13
Please please let me finish.
5:50:15
And at the time I was exiting city hall and had already given my notice, So I wasn't heavily involved in
Shekhar Krishnan
5:50:21
Right.
Randy Mastro
5:50:21
Those issues, but the fact of the matter is that it's not the way I left to my own devices would have conducted myself.
5:50:32
And not the way I typically did with the council.
5:50:34
And, obviously, Peter Malone and others on the council don't attribute that to me personally.
5:50:40
That's why I enjoy so much support from the him and his staff and council members from that generation.
