In 2020, there were only three rookie members of the Common Council. In 2022, only three of the members will be the same as those who took the oath of office in 2020. The aldermen serving their first term in 2022 will constitute 70 percent on the Council. (Of course, in 2018, 90 percent of the aldermen were starting their first term.)
Although the results of Tuesday's election are still unofficial, and the absentee ballots have yet to be counted, Gossips is pretty confident that the outcome will not change. So, let's review the changes on the Council from 2020 to 2022.
In the First Ward, Rebecca Wolff and Jane Trombley, both beginning their first term in 2020 and neither seeking reelection for 2022 . . .
will be replaced by Art Frick and Margaret Morris.
In the Second Ward, Dewan Sarowar was beginning his second term in 2020, and Tiffany Garriga her fourth term.
In 2022, Sarowar will return for his third term, but Garriga, who chose not to seek reelection to the Council but instead challenged Abdus Miah for the position of Second Ward supervisor and lost, will be replaced by Mohammed Rony.
In the Third Ward, Calvin Lewis and Shershah Mizan were both beginning their second terms in 2020.
Lewis resigned from the Council in July 2021 because he had taken a job with the Youth Department, and Mizan did not seek reelection in a timely manner. In July, the Council chose Ryan Wallace to replace Lewis, and on Tuesday, Ryan was elected to a new term. Who will be the second alderman for the Third Ward will not be decided until January.
In the Fourth Ward, Malachi Walker was starting his first term in 2020, and John Rosenthal his second.
In 2o22, Walker will return for his second term, and Rosenthal, who did not seek reelection, will be replaced by Theo Anthony.
In the Fifth Ward, Dominic Merante and Eileen Halloran were both beginning their second terms on the Common Council in 2020.
In 2022, Merante will return, and Halloran, who did not seek reelection, will be replaced by Vicky Daskaloudi.
We still don't know who will be the second alderman in the Third Ward, but as it stands now, the future Council is down two women, and only one alderman is African American.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK
The council has become a case study in ASPD. Perhaps it's time to consider, rather than paying for so many city attorneys, replacing one of them with a city psychotherapist. City meetings could then double as therapy sessions. The audience could benefit as well.
ReplyDeleteCarole, can you give us a list of all the legislation that was passed these last two years? The loss of air bnb tax money is huge not to mention the cost of enforcement. Talk about killing the goose that laid the golden egg!
ReplyDeleteIronically, the legislation will not create more needed affordable housing, but it does make the chasm between economic strata in Hudson even larger. Hotels in Hudson are 300+ upwards significantly. We have eliminated most affordable options for visitors to the community. During the course of the pandemic almost every small business that closed has been replaced by a more expensive business, also driving that chasm further. There seem to be an abundance of negative unintended consequences by creating shortsighted extreme responses to real issues that deserve more careful consideration.
DeleteIt would be interesting to look at recent legislation cumulatively.
Monica, so true. I don't think though that the negative consequences were unintended. It's simple logic, if you eliminate the environment for the middle class, they can no longer visit. I don't see how that could have been overlooked. Window shopping can get tiresome real quick. An under $100 item is a candle @$80. A 2 day weekend jaunt costing upwards of $1k+ is definitely not feasible for many. It's a strange agenda but it's what was wrought. Who of the newcomers see it this way? And what if anything can be done to correct the situation?
DeleteA few years ago I heard a new council member lament the fact that he was given no assistance or guidance to approach his cc work, basically just shown a chair in the city hall chambers and having to wing it. He lasted all of one 2 year term. There will be a lot of winging it next year and beyond. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to get some new members up to speed on the sidewalk replacement project that john rosenthal and others seemed to have worked so much on, and if the project/discussion progresses. Expect a lot of the same questions and discussions already dealt with. 2 steps ahead, one or two back. B Huston
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