Press Coverage

Councilman Ben Kallos, a Democrat from Manhattan who has been a frequent critic of the elections board, attributed the errors to the agency’s notorious history as a patronage mill.

“At the root of this is making sure that the people working at the Board of Elections are actually hired from an open process,” Mr. Kallos said. “We need to root out patronage in government and at the Board of Elections.”

"The city issues quality-of-life violations when people violate construction safety rules, start construction before or after hours, or have dangerous sidewalk conditions—and nobody seems to care," said City Councilman Ben Kallos. "Many landlords and developers treat [the fines] as a cost of doing business."

A 9300 Realty spokesman disputed the $1 million figure, and said the firm has paid the city hundreds of thousands of dollars since the nonprofit's study.

Kallos is sponsoring bills to give the Department of Finance, which collects fines, more power. One would put a lien on buildings if a big enough balance has accrued (this can be done now with single-family homes).

"The city issues quality-of-life violations when people violate construction safety rules, start construction before or after hours, or have dangerous sidewalk conditions—and nobody seems to care," Councilman Ben Kallos tells Crain’s. "Many landlords and developers treat [the fines] as a cost of doing business." The councilman is sponsoring a bill that could put a lien on buildings if a balance that’s large enough builds up, as can now be done with single-family homes. 
 

Legislation was introduced in the City Council by Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan) this week to increase that to $250 in an effort to stem reliance on big money donors able to give the max.

Many of the donors who have given the max to de Blasio come from the real estate industry, which has an interest in city housing and land use policies.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilman Ben Kallos, who both showed up to the vigil, spoke against the marine transfer station, saying it would only worsen the situation.

"People in the community pass on, but it should not happen because of bad public policy," Brewer said about the marine transfer station.

"The tragedy of all of this is that it won't be one private garbage truck, but hundreds an hour, driving through the side streets of the neighborhood, where they don't belong," Kallos added. "How many more deaths will it take? We need to make sure Jodi McGrath is the last person this happens to."

City Councilmember Ben Kallos said the death of McGrath points to the biggest danger of the trash station. “Garbage trucks are one of the most dangerous vehicles on the road,” Kallos said. “I think if the city forces a private hauler, or a garbage truck or 300 of them to drive through a residential neighborhood with hundreds of thousands of people, it’s the city that’s culpable.”

Upper East Side residents have been fighting the station since it was first slated to be reopened as part of the 2006 Solid Waste Management Plan. Pledge 2 Protect, a group that has opposed the project, co-hosted a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night at the intersection of First Avenue and E. 92nd St. to honor McGrath’s life. Milagros Velasquez, vice president of the Holmes Towers residential board, was asked to serve as spokesperson for McGrath’s family and helped plan the vigil. “Jodi was a fixture in the community,” Velasquez said. “She didn’t have much in the way of family, so everybody was kind of like her family. She was a big animal person, she loved pets.”

Councilman Ben Kallos, who chairs the Governmental Operations Committee, said in an interview that he expected DCAS to meet its target by the end of next year.

“If they’re able to turn 5,000 provisionals into civil servants in one year, that sets the tone and we should be able to get down to zero in the next three to four years,” he said, adding that capping an extension at one year would be the “responsible” option.

“Because that is the only part that can be planned for by this current administration or even by me,” said Mr. Kallos, who was elected in 2013. “We are guaranteed until the end of 2017 for our first term, and anything else should not be taken for granted.”

The Manhattan Councilman said that he requested the agency share whether there was an overlap between titles with provisional appointments and those with lists. “I will be looking to ensure—and the state should be looking to ensure—that no provisional is hired into a new title where there was an existing exam administered with somebody waiting months, if not years, to be hired into that position,” he said.

DCAS officials said they would be willing to include the number of provisionals in the Mayor’s Management Report, an annual agency report card. “If we see in September, when the MMR comes out, that those numbers aren’t there, you better believe we’ll be having an oversight hearing to see why we’re falling behind,” Mr. Kallos said.

A Manhattan legislator says the possible downsizing of Catholic churches in the Big Apple could provide desperately needed space to the public school system.

City Councilman Ben Kallos fired off a letter last week to Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and School Construction Authority President Lorraine Grillo urging them to consider acquiring churches that might come on the market.

“Although we wish to avoid the closings, they present a unique and time-sensitive opportunity to build new schools,” said Kallos.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said Wednesday she is concerned that holding mock presidential elections in schools could lead to the type of bullying common in the real race for the White House.

The nasty 2016 presidential race may be too hot to handle for city school kids. Schools chancellor Carmen Fariña said Wednesday she’s worried children will get bullied if schools hold a mock election this year. “My concern about mock elections this year goes back to bullying,” she said. “Unless this is done right, this could be something else that is going to create more contention.” Councilman Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan) asked the schools boss to conduct a mock election and let kids cast ballots for their presidential favorites as a way to boost civic engagement.

By all accounts, 412 East 85th Street is already an unofficial neighborhood landmark, and a beloved fix­ture of FRIENDS’ educational walking tours. Vocal support by its owners, in addition to Council Member Ben Kallos, the Historic Districts Council, Municipal Art Society, New York Landmarks Conservancy, the Victorian Society in America, Carnegie Hill Neighbors, Community Board 8, and FRIENDS will help to ensure a positive outcome for the building.