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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Frank Morano, New York City Council Candidate, on sanctuary city policies, nonpartisan elections, and community board appointments
1:12:58
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3 min
Frank Morano, a City Council candidate, argues that New York City's sanctuary policies result from an electoral system producing a City Council unrepresentative of the broader populace.
He advocates for electoral reform, ideally proportional representation, but strongly supports adopting the current nonpartisan special election model for all city elections to foster moderation and better representation.
Additionally, he proposes a charter change to make council members' recommendations for half of the community board appointments binding on the Borough President.
- Claims current council is more "radical" than the city due to closed primaries in heavily Democratic districts.
- Argues nonpartisan elections would lead to a more representative council.
- Expresses preference for proportional representation but sees nonpartisan model as a practical step.
- Proposes giving council members binding appointment power over half the community board seats currently recommended by them.
Frank Morano
1:12:58
Hello, everybody.
1:12:59
Welcome to Staten Island Commissioners.
1:13:01
I am Frank Moreno.
1:13:03
I happen to be a candidate for New York City Council, as Michael was kind enough to allude to.
1:13:07
But I would be here even if I wasn't.
1:13:09
I have testified before every Charter Revision Commission since 02/2002, including you guys, and I will endeavor not to repeat anything that I've already said.
1:13:18
I've submitted lengthier written testimony that I hope you guys will review at your convenience.
1:13:24
And I hope everybody's aware of that long standing Charter Revision Commission rule that whatever commissioner is hosting you in their home borough has to buy dinner that night.
1:13:34
And fortunately for you, Diane Savino is well versed on the best restaurants on Staten Island, so you guys are in for a treat.
1:13:42
Exactly.
1:13:43
Well, you guys can split it.
1:13:45
So in in February so the I know this isn't directly related to the evening's theme of electoral reform, but indirectly, it is.
1:13:53
I wanna speak briefly about the issue of sanctuary cities.
1:13:57
I think it's clear from a law enforcement perspective that the idea that New York City law enforcement agencies would be expressly forbidden from cooperating with ICE detainer requests or any federal law enforcement agency.
1:14:12
It defies logic.
1:14:13
And most rank and file New Yorkers, irrespective of who they voted for or what political party they're registered with, they don't think that's a good idea.
1:14:21
But to paraphrase Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes, how did such a mixed up situation get started?
1:14:27
Well, it's because the city council that passed those reforms, and I mean reforms in the worst possible sense, is so much more radical than the city that they govern.
1:14:40
For instance, you had about 30% of New Yorkers vote for a Republican for mayor in the last two election cycles, and yet you have a situation where there's only about 10% representation of Republicans on the city council.
1:14:54
Additionally, the Democrats that are elected, the only thing they have to do is be the most left wing person in 45 council districts.
1:15:03
And that creates a body that is so much more radical than the constituents they're representing.
1:15:09
And that's where nonpartisan elections comes in.
1:15:12
I would prefer proportional representation, which in the twelve years that New York City had it, was the golden age of the our representation.
1:15:20
Not only were their minority parties represented, not only were the parties more representative of how people voted, but it resulted in the first black council members ever being elected, the first female council members being elected.
1:15:33
And we have had more modern experiments with it when it comes to the community school board elections.
1:15:39
I realize that's a little bit of a leap given where you guys might be now.
1:15:43
So let's just stick with a model that we've had which works very well, which we've had in New York City for thirty some odd years, which is the nonpartisan special election.
1:15:53
If you take the model in the election that Cliff Hagan and I are running in now and just replicate that for every council election rather than some, it is something that I think would produce better results for the voters and for candidates.
1:16:05
And if you just indulge me for forty more seconds, one thing I have to mention is the issue of community boards.
1:16:11
Currently, as you're aware, community board members are all appointed by the borough president.
1:16:17
Half of them are, appointed based on the recommendation of a council member.
1:16:22
I would suggest that the, commission put on the ballot a change to this where the council member gets to bindingly appoint half of the members rather than simply recommend.
1:16:34
I'll give
Richard R. Buery Jr.
1:16:34
you case in point.