Metropolis Council Member Julie Menin talking at a Nov. 25 listening to.
William Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit
Manhattan Metropolis Council Member Julie Menin seems poised to turn out to be the second-most highly effective elected official in New York Metropolis.
In that case, her budgetary energy, fame as a political average, and affect over zoning are all elements incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani might want to take care of both contentiously or cooperatively.
Menin introduced simply earlier than Thanksgiving that she had secured sufficient votes to turn out to be the following Metropolis Council speaker when the town’s legislature convenes on Jan. 7, every week after Mamdani is sworn in as New York’s 111th mayor on Jan. 1.
These involved about Mamdani’s democratic socialist platform can take coronary heart in understanding that Menin is a way more average elected official, and will function the bulwark the town must examine Mamdani’s actions and forestall him from overreaching his energy.
Briefly, she is the suitable particular person for the suitable job on the proper time.
The Metropolis Council speaker’s position is important. As head of the chamber, the speaker units the legislative agenda and, most significantly, works carefully with the mayor on hammering out annual balanced budgets.
Mayor-elect Mamdani has made quite a few lofty guarantees to, in his view, make the town extra reasonably priced — together with freezing hire on rent-stabilized residences, enacting free common childcare, and launching a fare-free bus system. He additionally desires to ascertain a brand new Division of Neighborhood Security to handle psychological well being points and different quality-of-life issues, shifting these duties away from the NYPD.
As a speaker, Menin can work with Mamdani on advancing that agenda whereas guaranteeing that the applications aren’t solely funded but additionally don’t develop the town’s already difficult $116 billion finances and additional burden the town’s tax base.
She brings super administration abilities from her earlier service as chair of Manhattan Neighborhood Board 1, which was influential within the rebuilding of the World Commerce Middle website after 9/11, in addition to her membership on the Decrease Manhattan Growth Company board and as commissioner of the Division of Shopper Affairs beneath Mayor Invoice de Blasio. In actual fact, she has way more expertise in NYC authorities than Mamdani.
For that purpose alone, he can be sensible to work with Menin, ought to she turn out to be speaker. Together with her as a prepared associate, he wins an vital ally in a marketing campaign to advance an affordability agenda that uplifts tens of millions of people that desperately need assistance whereas additionally conserving prices in examine and limiting forms.
As speaker, she will be able to lead the chamber when mandatory to face in opposition to the Mamdani administration. We have now seen, in latest mayoralties, efforts to reduce the Council’s affect by in search of end-arounds by constitution revision committees and govt orders to avoid actions that will not win the favor of the town’s elected legislators.
Ought to Mamdani take the same path, we now have each confidence {that a} Speaker Menin can take a powerful stand for the legislative department of metropolis authorities, and to guard the individuals’s greatest pursuits.
