• Brooklyn
  • Manhattan
Monday, March 1, 2021
Newsletter
Queens County Politics
  • News
    • Activism
    • Arts, Sports & Leisure
    • Community Close-Up
    • Education
    • Election
    • Government
      • City Government
      • State Government
      • Federal Government
    • Legislation/Policy
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Transportation
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • News
    • Activism
    • Arts, Sports & Leisure
    • Community Close-Up
    • Education
    • Election
    • Government
      • City Government
      • State Government
      • Federal Government
    • Legislation/Policy
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Transportation
  • About
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Queens County Politics
No Result
View All Result

Richards Throws Hat In Ring For Queens Borough President

Naeisha Rose by Naeisha Rose
October 2, 2019
in City Government, Election, Government
0
4
SHARES
62
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Far Rockaway, Laurelton) officially declared his candidacy to run for Queens Borough President Wednesday in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park near the Unisphere and was surrounded by family and supporters as he laid out his vision for the World’s Borough.

As a councilman, he has chaired the committees on Environmental Protection, Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and on Public Safety over the last six years, which he has referred to as key to shaping Queens when it comes to new and green infrastructure, affordable housing and criminal justice reform.

“I’m the first African-American to chair the Environmental Protection committee,” said Richards. “From affordable housing, to unfair tax structures, to bringing jobs and not killing them, infrastructure and public safety, [my] record simply speaks for itself.”

In 2013, Richards had assumed office in City Council District 31, which represents an enclave of neighborhoods in Far Rockaway, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens, Jamaica, and Rosedale and had fought to bring $2.2 billion throughout 55 infrastructure projects in Queens as chair on the Committee of Environmental Protection after several areas in his region were hit by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

“When I was elected to the City Council, my district was devastated,” said Richards. “There is no one in this race who can talk about bringing a community back after the destruction of a storm like Hurricane Sandy, nor the investments for what I call the forgotten communities of Queens.”

As a zoning chair, Richards had brought $300 million for Downtown Far Rockaway for affordable units, more open green space for his constituents and a reconstructed state-of-the-art Far Rockaway Library, according to the councilman. He also played a role to bring back manufacturing jobs to Queens from Bartlett Dairy Factory to Springfield Gardens.

Currently, the councilman is the Public Safety chair and he has used his role to take 300 guns off the street through the gun buyback program and prevented the NYPD from cooperating with ICE to deport 3,000 immigrants.

“As the son of an immigrant,” said Richards, who is Jamaican-American “as someone whose father just became an immigrant this year, it was critical that we are a sanctuary city, not just sanctuary city in words.”

In December, Richards hope is to break ground on the long-awaited 116th Precinct, which would cover his district in Queens and breakaway from the 105th Precinct that also covers Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans)’s district.

As borough president, he wants to bring more affordable housing units that are reflective of the income of those seeking reasonably priced homes, he wants to reform that tax code to give a break to the middle and working class, and make sure those who are in the upper class are paying their fair share and responsibly bring jobs to Queens with community support as opposed to backroom deals like the Amazon initiative, according to Richards.

“We have a long way to go still,” said the councilman who had his wife Tameeka Richards and his 3-year-old Donovan Richards III by his side. “As borough president, I’ll put the office to work for Queens residents. The city’s unfair property tax burden and affordable housing crisis has families, seniors and Millenials feeling the squeeze in our borough while the economy is growing.”

The candidate wants to have more diverse community boards that have a strengthened voice when it comes to zoning initiatives by having several regional zone planners that will update the 700 members in Queens about potential development projects.

Richards wants more investment in transportation in eastern Queens to connect people to jobs and the borough’s cultural center and wants an office at Borough Hall to serve immigrant initiatives.

In his corner was former Borough President Claire Shulman, 93.

“I’m here to endorse him and to tell the people of Queens can do the job and take Queens into the future,” said Shulman. “To all my neighbors and friends, to everybody in the borough take a good look at this guy, Donovan Richards.”

Rosedale resident David Pecoraro is sad to possibly lose his councilman but is rooting for him as Queens Borough President.

“I’m sorry to see him go as a council member, but that is inevitable with term limits,” said Pecoraro. “Now it is time for the entire borough of Queens to see what we’ve seen in the last two terms.”

Pecoraro is proud of the initiatives that the councilman has undertaken like the revitalization of the Rockaways, the 116th Precinct, the Far Rockaway Library reconstruction, more streetlights near Brookville Park and the gun buyback program.

“He has gotten the big things and the little things done,” said Pec. “It is time for someone from southeast Queens to represent us and the borough, he is truly Queens for all.”

Tags: campaign launchqueens borough officeQueens Borough PresidentQueens Borough President candidate
Previous Post

Queens Lawmakers On The Move Oct. 2, 2019

Next Post

Queens Lawmakers On The Move Oct. 3, 2019

Naeisha Rose

Naeisha Rose

Naeisha Rose is a multimedia journalist and graduate of the Arts & Culture and Broadcast programs at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. She has worked as a General Assignment Reporter/Photojournalist for TimesLedger Newspapers, a Book Reviewer for Publishers Weekly and a Freelance Writer for LatinTrends Magazine.

Next Post
Queens County City Council News

Queens Lawmakers On The Move Oct. 3, 2019

Subscribe to Our Daily Newsletter!

Podcast: Black & Jewish

Chaya and Ariama with the logo for "Black & Jewish" logo

Today's Top Read

  • A polling site on special election day in Far Rockaway, Queens on Feb. 23. (Photo by Gabriele Holtermann)

    With No Clear Winner on Election Night, Ranked Choice Voting to be Put to the Test in District 31 Special Election

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • After Narrow Defeat, Osina Looks to Redeem Himself in Next Week’s Special Election

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Experts, Voters Address Environmental Threats in City Council District 31 Ahead of Special Election

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Special Election Candidates Have Rival Visions on Future of Policing

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Low Turn Out at the Polls on Morning of Special Election in City Council District 31

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Schneps logo

© 2021 Political Edge LLC

Check out other local political news!

  • Brooklyn
  • Manhattan

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • About
  • Contact Us

© 2021 Political Edge LLC