Women shortchanged with New York City Council leadership assignments
Jeff Coltin
There are no women leading the most powerful committees on the New York City Council and few in its leadership, a further sign of the waning influence of women in the city’s legislative body.
Speaker Corey Johnson, who is a man, leads the City Council. Men are chairs of the two most powerful committees – Councilman Daniel Dromm will head the Finance Committee and Councilman Rafael Salamanca leads the Land Use Committee – and chair other prominent committees, including Housing and Buildings, Education, Public Safety, and Oversight and Investigations.
Johnson pledged at a Dec. 7 forum for City Council speaker candidates that he would assemble a diverse group of leaders. “I would commit to … a majority of the leadership team be women and people of color. I think that’s really important, as well as key committees,” Johnson said. “We need to do all we can to encourage women to run for office and be in leadership positions.”
Johnson did partially fulfill his pledge, naming just four white men to the 19-member Democratic leadership team. But only six of the leadership team members are women, and no women were appointed to chair the council’s most powerful committees.
“I would have liked to see more women in leadership, obviously, especially since our numbers are so low in the City Council,” said City Councilwoman Adrienne Adams, who was named chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses. “But I have no doubt that the folks who were chosen will do an outstanding job in leadership.”
Committee assignments and chairmanships for the new four-year term that started this year were officially announced on Thursday. With just 11 women in the 51-member council, a lack of female representation in the body has been a major topic of discussion. There were no women among the contenders for City Council speaker this year until City Councilwoman Inez Barron launched a protest candidacy at the very end.
This year, City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo, a close friend of Johnson’s, was named majority leader. Women make up six of the 20 members of Johnson’s Budget Negotiating team, which was also announced Thursday. Nine of the 20 members of that team are white men. Republican Minority Leader Steve Matteo and Minority Whip Joe Borelli are also white men.
The lack of female leadership this term is a break from the recent past. Melissa Mark-Viverito was council speaker over the last four years. City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland chaired the Committee on Finance, and City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson had NYPD oversight with the Public Safety Committee. Before Mark-Viverito, another woman, Christine Quinn, served as speaker.
City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera said when she reviewed the list of committee chairs published Thursday that she specifically searched for where her female colleagues were placed. Rivera was named chair of the newly created Hospital System Committee, and will also serve on Johnson’s leadership team. Reached after the committee chairs were announced but before the leadership team was made public, Rivera said she was hopeful that the leadership team would be more diverse. “I think there’s still time to make sure that we feel like we have a solid investment in this process and that there’s equity,” she said.
Johnson pointed to the leadership and budget teams to emphasize the inclusion of women, and said that he worked with the women of the council.
“I feel really good about leadership positions that women are in,” he said during a press conference after the committee assignments were announced. “I think a lot of the women members of the council got the committees that they asked for.”
City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, who will chair the newly created Capital Budget Subcommittee, said she was happy with assignment and that the committee will have real power. She also defended Johnson’s choices.
“I truly believe that at the end of the day, you will see that there is diversity in terms of leadership, (the budget negotiating team) and our majority leader,” she said. “The 11 women are a dynamic group, so what we may lack in quantity, we really make up in quality.”
Below is a rundown of the leadership and committee assignments announced this week:
Speaker: Corey Johnson
Majority Leader: Laurie Cumbo
Majority Whip: Fernando Cabrera
Chair of the Dem Majority: Robert Cornegy
Deputy Leader for Digital Communication: Rafael Espinal
Deputy Leader for Policy: Brad Lander
Minority Leader: Steve Matteo
Minority Whip: Joe Borelli
Leadership team: Chin, Deutsch, Gibson, Koslowitz, Reynoso, Richards, Rivera, Rodriguez, Rose, Treyger, Torres, Van Bramer, Williams
Budget Negotiating Team: Adams, Cornegy, Constantinides, Cumbo, Deutsch, Dromm, Gibson, Grodenchik, Johnson, Koslowitz, Lancman, Levin, Matteo, Menchaca, Moya, Reynoso, Rose, Rosenthal, Salamanca, Van Bramer
AGING
Chin, Chair
Ayala
Deutsch
Diaz, Sr.
Dromm
Eugene
Rose
Treyger
Vallone
CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Eugene, Chair
Dromm
Kallos
Lander
Perkins
Rodriguez
Rosenthal
CIVIL SERVICE AND LABOR
Miller, Chair
Adams
Dromm
King
Maisel
Ulrich
Williams
CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND BUSINESS LICENSING
Espinal, Chair
Chin
Koo
Koslowitz
Lander
CONTRACTS
Brannan, Chair
Barron
Perkins
Rosenthal
Yeger
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES
Powers, Chair
Ampry-Samuel
Holden
Lancman
Rivera
CULTURAL AFFAIRS, LIBRARIES AND INTERNATIONAL INTERGROUP RELATIONS
Van Bramer, Chair
Borelli
Cumbo
Koslowitz
Moya
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Vallone, Chair
Adams
Barron
Cornegy
Koo
Lander
Levine
Menchaca
Powers
Richards
Rivera
Rosenthal
Williams
EDUCATION
Treyger, Chair
Ampry-Samuel
Barron
Borelli
Brannan
Cohen
Cornegy
Deutsch
Dromm
Grodenchik
Kallos
King
Lander
Levin
Levine
Rodriguez
Rose
Salamanca
Ulrich
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Constantinides, Chair
Espinal
Levin
Menchaca
Richards
Ulrich
Yeger
FINANCE
Dromm, Chair
Adams
Cohen
Cornegy
Cumbo
Gibson
Grodenchik
Lancman
Matteo
Moya
Powers
Rosenthal
Van Bramer
FIRE
Borelli, Chair
Ampry-Samuel
Brannan
Cabrera
Maisel
FOR-HIRE VEHICLES
Diaz, Sr., Chair
Borelli
Constantinides
Moya
Rose
Rodriguez
Vallone
GENERAL WELFARE
Levin, Chair
Adams
Ayala
Gibson
Gjonaj
Grodenchik
Lander
Reynoso
Salamanca
Torres
Treyger
GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
Cabrera, Chair
Kallos
Maisel
Perkins
Powers
Rodriguez
Yeger
HEALTH
Levine, Chair
Ampry-Samuel
Barron
Eugene
Powers
HIGHER EDUCATION
Barron, Chair
Cumbo
Holden
Kallos
Rodriguez
HOSPITAL SYSTEM
Rivera, Chair
Ayala
Eugene
Levine
Maisel
Moya
Reynoso
HOUSING AND BUILDINGS
Cornegy, Chair
Cabrera
Chin
Espinal
Gjonaj
Grodenchik
Perkins
Rivera
Rosenthal
Torres
Williams
IMMIGRATION
Menchaca, Chair
Dromm
Eugene
Holden
Gjonaj
Miller
Yeger
JUSTICE SYSTEM
Lancman, Chair
Cohen
Maisel
Rose
Ulrich
JUVENILE JUSTICE
King, Chair
Gjonaj
Holden
Levine
Perkins
Rose
Williams
LAND USE
Salamanca, Chair
Adams
Barron
Constantinides
Deutsch
Diaz, Sr.
Gibson
Grodenchik
Kallos
King
Koo
Lancman
Levin
Miller
Moya
Reynoso
Richards
Rivera
Torres
Treyger
MENTAL HEALTH, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY, ALCOHOLISM, DRUG ABUSE AND DISABILITY SERVICES
Ayala, Chair
Ampry-Samuel
Cabrera
Holden
Van Bramer
OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
Torres, Chair
Kallos
Lancman
Powers
Salamanca
Treyger
Yeger
PARKS AND RECREATION
Grodenchik, Chair
Borelli
Brannan
Cohen
Constantinides
Gjonaj
King
Koo
Moya
Ulrich
Van Bramer
PUBLIC HOUSING
Ampry-Samuel, Chair
Ayala
Cumbo
Diaz, Sr.
Gjonaj
Menchaca
Richards
Salamanca
Torres
Treyger
Van Bramer
PUBLIC SAFETY
Richards, Chair
Brannan
Cabrera
Cohen
Deutsch
Gibson
Lancman
Menchaca
Miller
Powers
Rodriguez
Vallone
Williams
RULES, PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS
Koslowitz, Chair
Adams
Chin
Cornegy
Espinal
Gibson
Johnson
Lancman
Matteo
Torres
Treyger
SANITATION AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Reynoso, Chair
Cabrera
Deutsch
Espinal
Vallone
SMALL BUSINESS
Gjonaj, Chair
Ayala
Levin
Perkins
Rivera
STANDARDS AND ETHICS
Matteo, Chair
Chin
Gibson
Koslowitz
Levin
STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATION
Cohen, Chair
Cornegy
Espinal
Koslowitz
Rodriguez
TECHNOLOGY
Koo, Chair
Holden
Lander
Ulrich
Yeger
TRANSPORTATION
Rodriguez, Chair
Cabrera
Constantinides
Deutsch
Diaz, Sr.
Espinal
Koo
Levin
Levine
Menchaca
Miller
Reynoso
Richards
Rose
Salamanca
VETERANS
Deutsch, Chair
Brannan
Eugene
Maisel
Vallone
WOMEN
Rosenthal, Chair
Ayala
Cumbo
Kallos
Lander
YOUTH SERVICES
Rose, Chair
Brannan
Chin
Eugene
King
CAPITAL BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
Gibson, Chair
Grodenchik
Matteo
Rosenthal
Powers
LANDMARKS, PUBLIC SITING AND MARITIME USES SUBCOMMITTEE
Adams, Chair
Barron
Koo
Miller
Treyger
PLANNING, DISPOSITIONS AND CONCESSIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
Kallos, Chair
Deutsch
Diaz, Sr.
King
Gibson
ZONING AND FRANCHISES SUBCOMMITTEE
Moya, Chair
Constantinides
Grodenchik
Lancman
Levin
Reynoso
Richards
Rivera
Torres
BQX TASK FORCE
Menchaca, Chair
Constantinides
Levin
Reynoso
Van Bramer
CITY WORKFORCE EQUITY TASK FORCE
Williams, Chair
MWBE TASK FORCE
Cornegy, Chair