Four Queens pols on speaker’s team; new and continuing committee chairs

By Stephanie G. Meditz

The City Council last Thursday voted to approve a slate of new leaders and committee appointments, as Speaker Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) led her first stated meeting.

Four Queens Council members will serve on Menin’s leadership team, which includes representation from across the city. Councilmember Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) was tapped as deputy speaker; Councilmember Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) was named one of two deputy leaders; Councilmember Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens) will serve as finance chair; and Councilmember Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights) will lead the Committee on Oversight and Investigations.

“Southeast Queens raised me, grounded me, and continues to guide how I lead,” Williams said in a statement, pledging to partner with Menin to oversee the Council’s overall work while uplifting artists, cultural workers and institutions as head of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Organizations.

As deputy leader, Ung will be tasked to support the speaker in overseeing legislative agendas, internal operations and citywide initiatives. She also will lead the Committee on Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics.

Finance Chair Lee said in a statement that she does not take the responsibility of her post lightly, vowing to face issues such as the housing crisis, “looming fiscal cuts down the pipeline” and the rising cost of childcare head-on.

Krishnan, who was a civil rights lawyer for fair housing and tenant advocacy before joining the Council, said in a statement that lawmakers must use every available tool to “hold accountable those who take advantage of New Yorkers.”

“From taking on greedy corporations and bad landlords, to ensuring that the corruption we’ve seen in city government over the last four years never happens again, the Oversight Committee will be a fighter for the new era,” he said.

Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton) was named chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice. She promised to ensure that the city meets its “legal and moral obligations” and moves toward shuttering Rikers Island and carrying out the city’s borough-based jail plan.

Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn, Queens) will lead the Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education, housed within the Council’s Education Committee. She said she had partnered with Menin for years to prioritize families and is honored to continue striving toward universal childcare.

Councilmember Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) was appointed chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Waterfronts, and promised to use his decades of environmental policymaking experience to prioritize sustainability, climate justice and a green economy.

Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) will resume her role as head of the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management. During her previous term, she advocated for carcinogen-free equipment, more funding for fire and EMS operations and EMS pay parity with the rest of the FDNY.

Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) also will continue on as Health Committee chair.

While on the job previously, she got legislation passed to create the first citywide diabetes prevention program; require the city Health Department to craft a long-term population health agenda; and strengthen testing requirements for cooling towers to protect against Legionnaires’ disease, according to a press release from her office.

“This progress demonstrates what is possible when the City Council leads with a commitment to health, equity, and affordability,” she said.

Councilmember Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria) was appointed chair of the Mental Health and Addiction Committee. She said in a statement that she has seen how the city has “failed our neighbors” by addressing mental illnesses and substance abuse as crimes instead of public health matters, and pledged to ensure access to “care and dignity” for all.

New Councilmember Ty Hankerson (D-Jamaica) was named chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee, in what he described as a “full circle” moment. His public service began in Roy Wilkins Park with the Southern Queens Park Association, and he promised to integrate that foundation into his new gig.

Another newcomer, Councilmember Shanel Thomas-Henry (D-Corona), will lead the Small Business Committee. A small business owner herself, she vowed to strengthen neighborhood economies and ensure ample resources for entrepreneurs.

Councilmember Julie Won (D-Long Island City) will be the inaugural chair of the new Committee on Workforce Development.

“As Chair, my priority is creating clear, equitable pathways to good-paying jobs, ensuring that New Yorkers can afford to stay in our city,” Won said in a statement.

New Councilmember Phil Wong (D-Maspeth) did not receive any chairmanships, but was appointed to a slew of committees — Finance, Education, Public Safety, Transportation and Infrastructure, Fire and Emergency Management, Veterans and Workforce Development.

Wong, who served as budget director to Bob Holden, his predecessor, also was named to Menin’s budget negotiation team, his office said. The panel guides the Council’s negotiations with the mayor on spending for fiscal year 2027.

Councilmember Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) received just two assignments, for the panels on Veterans and Fire and Emergency Management, and will not chair any committees [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com].

Link to story: https://www.qchron.com/editions/council-oks-slate-of-internal-leaders/article_439149a5-1394-4e98-81d0-a4962d3dfd17.html