The Metropolis Council’s small Republican caucus is going through an inner disaster after half of its members contested the validity of an election for a brand new minority chief that passed off Tuesday and elevated Staten Island Councilman David Carr to the function.
The election was referred to as to call the chamber’s new Republican minority chief in mild of this weekend’s resignation of Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli, who has for years held the submit.
Solely three of the GOP caucus’ six members — Borelli, Carr and Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov — confirmed up for the vote. They voted unanimously to make Carr the subsequent minority chief.
However later Tuesday, the caucus’ different three members — Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola, Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino and Bronx Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato — filed a proper grievance with Council Speaker Adrienne Adams asking her to reject the outcomes of the election.
Metropolis Council member Joann Ariola (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Day by day Information)
“The certificate is facially defective and should be declared void on its face,” they wrote to the speaker.
Ariola, who spearheaded the grievance, has herself been angling for the minority chief job.
Reps for the speaker didn’t instantly return requests for remark.
“Because they weren’t there, they count as negative votes. So it was three yeses, and effectively three nos, right? That’s a tie,” he mentioned, including {that a} tie end result permits essentially the most senior member to soak up the minority chief submit. Carr additionally mentioned he has already filed the certificates of the inner election with the Metropolis Clerk’s Workplace.
Borelli backed up Carr.
“Where is the reference to a quorum, or even the requirement to hold a meeting of the conference for electing a leader in our bylaws?” he mentioned in a textual content. When it comes to his colleagues’ grievance, Borelli added: “The speaker has no role here, per the Council rules.”
After almost a decade within the Council, Borelli introduced over the weekend that he’s resigning on the finish of this week — earlier than his time period is up on the finish of 2025 — to grow to be a lobbyist for the Washington, D.C.-based Chartwell Technique Group.
Finally, the function of Republican minority chief within the Council doesn’t include numerous energy.
The six Republicans are outnumbered by the Council’s 46 Democrats, who’re typically capable of move any laws and budgetary measures they need with out enter from the GOP flank.
Initially Printed: January 28, 2025 at 6:15 PM EST
