“This past February Council Member Julie Menin introduced Resolution 0132, calling on the NY State Legislature and Government to grant residents of Roosevelt Island the power to vote for members of the board of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation,” a spokesperson said. Now, it’s getting a City Council hearing. Menin asks your support for more democracy on Roosevelt Island.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Elusive Quest for More Democracy for Roosevelt Island
As Senator Liz Krueger pointed out in a Community Board 8 Zoom over the summer, Roosevelt Island has democracy. Earlier resident efforts ballooned the issue beyond fact. We vote for mayor, a council member and other city officials. Significantly, though, we also vote for Governor, State Senator and Assembly Member.
These matter, but RIOC is a state agency, supported almost exclusively by residents and local businesses. And Roosevelt Islanders have no say in how the spending or governance operate. Menin seeks a remedy for that through her resolution. It’s an important step, but it still leaves the decisions 151 miles away in the remote outpost called Albany.
You can read more about the bill here:
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6557756&GUID=10034DCA-1087-4EDC-BF70-654B1C44D599&Options=ID|Text|&Search=RIOC.
Board Member Ben Fhala Weighs in
Since joining the board last year, Fhala has been supported by Senator Krueger. He has been considered a reformer or a pain in the ass, depending on your perspective. While residents cheered his efforts, he partnered with fellow board member Lydia Tang. The entrenched hard right faction, made up of appointed state officials and longtime board members, bristled against change.
Not unexpectedly, Fhala takes a broader view of the challenge at hand.
“I believe a deeper review of the board’s structure is essential, including questioning why HCR is in charge, why the chair is not an elected, full-time paid position, and why there are no term limits,” he wrote in an email. “We also need to consider how we can better represent various groups in our community, such as renters, people with disabilities, young couples, and so forth. Elections are important, but are they enough?”
An historical snapshot
In the chaotic times after Elliot Spitzer was elected, replacing George Pataki, and the multiple terms won by Andrew Cuomo, Albany agreed that Roosevelt Islanders should vote on RIOC board members. Cuomo gracelessly kicked that idea into the gutter. Then, he stomped on it.
The voting results brought more democracy but were never binding. The state still vetted the winning vote getters, rejecting two of them, but seating the rest. It was the most representative board RIOC ever had. Cuomo hated it because it was not under his control. He let it shrink into a small coterie of bobbleheads who had only “Yessir” in their vocabularies. That ended only when Cuomo was run out of office after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.
Governor Kathy Hochul has not been much different, just nicer about her anti-democracy slants. She vetoed pro-democracy bills sponsored by Assembly Member Seawright and Senator José Serrano in 2022.
Show Your Support for More Democracy
Fhala makes a point that much more is needed for remaking RIOC as a resident-oriented manager. But Menin offers a compelling step forward. Harry Gale, her Director of Constituent Services asked this:
“The Council Committee on Government Operations, State and Federal Legislation announced that this bill – Resolution 0132 – will be heard during their 10am hearing this Thursday, the 19th. We are encouraging all members of the community to testify either in person at the Committee Room at City Hall, virtually through zoom or you may submit written testimony. To register, please visit
https://council.nyc.gov/testify/ and click on the 9/19 Committee on Government Operations, State and Federal Legislation.
We say, Go for it. If you want more democracy, it’s important that you participate. Pro or con, this is your chance.
You Can FOIL* It
On April 15, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, a simple exchange revealed something far more consequential than anything formally presented that evening.
