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Just about every member of the Queens City
Council delegation named a committee chair
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JAN. 28 - FEB. 3, 2022 15
BY BILL PARRY
Northeast Queens Councilwoman
Vickie Paladino was
the only member of the borough
delegation that was not
given a committee leadership
position announced by Speaker
Adrienne Adams at Thursday’s
stated meeting. A Paladino
spokesman confirmed that
the Republican was allowed to
attend the meeting in person
after she was granted a waiver
to the city’s COVID-19 vaccine
mandate, which she’s said she
doesn’t agree with.
“Council member Paladino
does have a waiver and she has
been tested, so she is allowed
on the grounds,” Adams told
reporters on the steps of City
Hall.
Her fellow Republican,
Councilwoman Joann Ariola,
who now represents south
Queens, was appointed chair
of the Committee on Fire and
Emergency Management.
“In light of what has happened
in our city over the past
few weeks where lives were
lost, but more lives were saved
due to the outstanding efforts
of the Fire Department, NYC’s
Department of Emergency
Services and the Emergency
Management Department, my
committee and I will work
tirelessly to make sure they
have the necessary resources
needed to continue saving
lives,” Ariola said. “Chairing
this important committee will
also help me better serve my
own district, which consists
of historical districts and communities
where many of the
homes are wood-framed and
can easily catch fire.”
Council Majority Whip Selvena
Brooks-Powers, who represents
the eastern portion of
the Rockaways, was appointed
as chair of the transportation
committee.
“My district is a transit
desert, underserved by rail
and bus services,” she said.
“Our communities truly understand
the urgent need for a
public transportation network
that is reliable, accessible, affordable
and safe. As we work
with our partners in government
and stakeholders, my
highest priority is to build a
more equitable transportation
system for all New Yorkers.”
Forest Hills Councilwoman
Lynn Schulman was elected by
her colleague to serve as chair
of the Health Committee.
“I have dedicated my personal
and professional life
to health care advocacy and
look forward to helping all of
my constituents and all New
Yorkers access affordable and
equitable healthcare,” Schulman
said.
Flushing Councilwoman
Linda Lee will serve as chair
of the Mental Health Committee.
“Pandemic-driven stress,
housing insecurity, unemployment
and other issues have exacerbated
deep-rooted issues
in our city, and if we want to
bring NYC back following the
pandemic, we must acknowledge
that these problems are
complex, interrelated and require
multi-faceted solutions,”
Lee said.
Councilwoman Tiffany
Cabán will lead the Women
and Gender Equity Committee,
as the first-ever majority
women’s Council gets underway.
“I look forward to working
with my colleagues to use this
position to provide supports
to survivors of gender-based
violence, guarantee dignified
conditions for workers in
traditionally gendered professions,
and shift resources and
power away from patriarchal
systems of violence and punishment,’
Cabán said.
Councilwoman Julie Won
was named chair of the Contracts
Committee; Councilwoman
Nantasha Williams
takes over the Civil and Human
Rights Committee; Councilman
James Gennaro is the
new leader of the Committee
on the Environment; and
Councilwoman Sandra Ung
was put in charge of the Governmental
Operation Committee.
Councilman Robert Holden
was named chair of the
Committee on Veterans.
“We can never do enough
for our veterans after the service
they have performed for
us all,” Holden said. “I will
work every day to take care of
our city’s veterans and make
them a priority, coordinating
closely with the Department
of Veterans’ Services. No one
who has served our country in
the armed forces should be left
behind.”
Jackson Heights Councilman
Shekar Krishnan takes
over as leader of the Parks and
Recreation Committee.
“In this city, where we live
affects everything around us,
including our access to green
space and all the benefits that
come with it,” Krishnan said.
“As the pandemic has shown
us, we must invest in our parks
with the same urgency as our
subways, our hospitals and
our schools. This is especially
true for our most vulnerable
communities. Our parks are a
matter of social justice.”
Finally, Councilman Francisco
Moya, who was the last
to challenge Adams in the
Speaker race last month, was
appointed chair of the newly
created Subcommittee on COVID
Recovery and Resiliency.
“We’ve seen the toll of COVID
19 over the past two years
across New York City, and my
district was the epicenter. As
we continue to be challenged
by an ever-evolving pandemic,
we need to ensure that federal
and state funding are being appropriately
directed to protect
and provide relief to our most
vulnerable communities and
neighborhoods,” Moya said. “I
am grateful to the Speaker for
this opportunity as we work
to build a more resilient and
equitable city.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced that nearly all of her colleagues on the Queens
delegation were named committee chairs. Photo courtesy of NYC Council
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