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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Council Member Frank Morano from New York City Council on community board appointments
0:06:17
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5 min
Council Member Frank Morano, speaking on behalf of himself and 11 other colleagues, urges the commission to amend the city charter.
The proposed amendment would grant city council members binding appointment authority over a portion of community board members in their districts.
He argues this would enhance accountability, diversify representation, promote responsiveness, and strengthen intergovernmental balance.
- The current system, where council members only submit recommendations to borough presidents, is described as creating a disconnect and leading to disregarded recommendations.
- This proposal is presented as a nonpartisan issue of good governance, supported by members from various political perspectives.
Frank Morano
0:06:17
Great to see you.
0:06:18
Especially on Staten Island, which is, I'm sure commissioner Savino can attest, not only has the smartest people testifying, but the best food.
0:06:27
I actually am, here today to speak about an issue that I brought to your attention a couple of months back before I was elected to the city council.
0:06:36
Although now I am submitting testimony on behalf of 11 other of my colleagues and myself, but I am going to not assume that that means I get to testify three minutes times 12, and I'm gonna try and limit it to, a reasonable length.
0:06:52
So, speaking on behalf of, the council members who I'll I'll name, we write to strongly urge the commission to amend the city charter to grant city council members binding appointment authority over a portion of community board members in their districts.
0:07:08
As council members, we're on the ground in our communities every day.
0:07:12
We attend civic meetings, hear directly from our constituents, and engage with the very stakeholders who serve or seek to serve on community boards.
0:07:20
We believe it is past time that this direct democratic connection be given real weight in the appointment process.
0:07:27
Under the current charter, city council members may submit recommendations for community board appointments, but the decision ultimately rests with the borough presidents.
0:07:36
While we recognize the borough president's citywide coordination role and value their contributions to borough wide planning, this structure creates a total disconnect between representation and authority.
0:07:47
It has too often led to situations where well qualified individuals deeply embedded in and trusted by their communities are denied appointments or reappointments for reasons unrelated to performance or community feedback.
0:08:00
This is not a theoretical concern.
0:08:02
It's a lived reality for many of us.
0:08:04
We've all encountered cases where our informed, thoughtful recommendations were disregarded.
0:08:10
This practice undercuts the legitimacy of community boards and frustrates constituents who rightly expect their elected council members' input to carry meaningful weight.
0:08:20
So we propose chapter 70 section 2,800 a of the New York City charter be amended as follows or with similar language to allow each council member's binding authority over a specified portion of appointments to the community boards that serve their district.
0:08:36
Quote, for each community district created pursuant to chapter 69, there shall be a community board which shall consist of not more than 50 persons, half of which would be appointed by the borough president and half appointed by the council members elected from council districts, which include any portion of the community district.
0:08:57
And additionally amended to Reid, members shall serve until their successors are appointed, but no member may serve for more than sixty days after the expiration of his or her original term unless reappointed by the borough president or the respective council member who appointed them.
0:09:12
Under this provision, for example, if a community board has 50 members and 25 positions are open in a given cycle, the council member whose district covers the majority of the board's geography could be authorized to directly appoint a fixed number, say five to seven of those members.
0:09:27
Furthermore, the council members should be given the same binding authority as a borough president to reappoint or remove community board members he or she has appointed.
0:09:37
This would require amending chapter 70 section 2,800 b of the city charter.
0:09:41
I'm not gonna read the specific language in the interest of time, but I will submit this testimony to you.
0:09:47
This approach would enhance accountability.
0:09:50
Council members are directly elected by the communities served by the community boards, giving us the authority to appoint some members ensures there's a direct line of democratic responsibility if boards become dysfunctional or out of touch.
0:10:05
It would diversify representation.
0:10:07
Borough presidents often rely on centralized networks and legacy affiliations.
0:10:12
Council members, by contrast, are more likely to know and elevate emerging voices, especially those from underrepresented or newer community segments.
0:10:21
This promotes responsiveness.
0:10:23
When residents bring issues to our attention about the performance or composition of their community boards, they rightly expect we have the power to make change.
0:10:30
Currently, we can't.
0:10:32
This reform would give communities a stronger say through their elected representative.
0:10:37
This would strengthen intergovernmental balance.
0:10:40
Just as mayoral appointees to city agencies are balanced by council oversight, so too should a borough president's authority over boards be balanced by council appointment powers.
0:10:49
This is a matter of simple checks and balances.
0:10:52
This is a nonpartisan issue of good governments.
0:10:56
This proposal is not about political advantage or partisan power.
0:11:00
It's about fairness, accountability, and making local government more responsive and more representative.
0:11:06
Members of the of this who signed this letter represent a wide range of political perspectives, but we're united in our belief that this committee the communities we serve deserve a more meaningful say in the boards that shape neighborhood development, land use, and city services.
0:11:22
So we're asking the commission to give this proposal serious con consideration and welcome any opportunity to engage further as you complete your final recommendations.
0:11:31
And it's signed by members from all five boroughs, in both political parties representing conservatives, moderates, progressives.