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Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry explains her vote for Julie Menin
1:13:23
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156 sec
Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry explained her vote for Julie Menin by emphasizing the need for accountable leadership that understands the interconnected challenges of District 21, followed by a vote from Council Member Sandra Ung.
- Thomas-Henry discussed the importance of governing through direct community engagement rather than studying residents from a distance
- She highlighted the intersection of public safety, immigrant protection, and small business support in her district
- The Council Member noted Menin's experience with streamlined permitting and the creative economy as vital for neighborhood growth
- Council Member Sandra Ung also cast her vote in favor of Julie Menin
Shanel Thomas-Henry
1:13:23
Permission to explain my vote?
Michael McSweeney
1:13:25
Permission granted.
Shanel Thomas-Henry
1:13:26
Good afternoon.
1:13:27
I am grateful for the opportunity to address you today.
1:13:30
I stand here as a voice for my community and as a point of accountability in these halls for the residents of District 21.
1:13:37
What I have learned and what continues to guide my service is this, to govern well, we must know the people, not study them from a distance, but listen to them, work alongside them, and remain accountable to them.
1:13:50
That principle matters as this body focuses on delivering lasting solutions for New Yorkers across every borough.
1:13:57
Leadership in this moment is not about personality or praise, it is about collaboration, experience, and the ability to translate shared priorities into effective governance.
1:14:07
In District 21, our challenges are deeply interconnected.
1:14:11
Public safety, affordability, and protecting immigrant communities cannot be addressed in silos.
1:14:17
Small businesses are working to stay open.
1:14:19
Parents are navigating access to childcare while worrying about safety.
1:14:24
Families depend on health care systems that must be transparent and responsive.
1:14:28
Our creative workers and cultural institutions fuel our local economy and sustain our neighborhoods.
1:14:34
These realities demand leadership that understands how policy works across systems and communities, and how to bring people together to solve problems.
1:14:43
Council member Menon's governing experience reflects that approach from supporting small businesses through streamlined permitting, to advancing universal childcare, to strengthening the creative economy and workforce.
1:14:55
That experience creates opportunities for real collaboration across boroughs and across communities, which is essential for districts like mine.
1:15:04
As a grandchild of small business owners who migrated to Corona, New York from the Jim Crow South Of Mississippi in hopes of building a new life for their family, I am especially encouraged by the opportunity to work together to strengthen neighborhood economies in Queens and across the city, while ensuring working families, caregivers, and immigrant communities are not left behind.
1:15:26
This moment represents a new era for New York City, one where leadership experience with the people is centered, collaboration is prioritized, and accountability remains at the core of our work.
1:15:37
The overwhelming majority reflected in this vote signals this body's readiness to move forward together.
1:15:42
For these reasons, I vote I for council member Julie Menon to serve as speaker of the New York City Council.
Susan Zhuang
1:15:51
Well done.
Sandra Ung
1:15:53
Proudly vote aye for councilmember Julie Menon, and congratulations.