Mayor Releases Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 of $92.28 billion

Mayor's Coming to the Bronx, and He's Bringing City Hall With Him

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio presented the City’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2022 (FY22), on Thursday, Jan. 14. The preliminary budget is $92.28 billion and the mayor said after the one of the most painful years in the City’s history, it charts a path to recovery while making responsible choices in light of steep revenue losses due to COVID-19. “President-elect Biden will help our recovery by increasing FEMA reimbursement,” the mayor said. “And new Democratic majorities in Congress must move us forward with a federal COVID relief package that includes direct local aid.” Officials from

By DAVID GREENE

New York Congressman, Adriano Espaillat, who represents parts of the Bronx and Manhattan, announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is now under quarantine. In the first of three tweets, Espaillat posted at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 14, writing, “I am following the guidance from my physician and quarantining at home after having tested positive for COVID-19.” As reported by Norwood News, the congressman was first vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the United States Capitol on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. On Jan. 14, Espaillat added to his first tweet, writing, “I

Bronx Projects Take Center Stage in State of the City

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Borough President, Ruben Díaz Jr., announced on Wednesday, Jan. 13, his endorsement of Eric Dinowitz, male district leader of the 81st assembly district and son of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, in his bid to win the 11th City Council District race for which a special election will be held on March 23. “I have seen the great work Eric has done as Democratic district leader and chair of the aging committee on Community Board 8,” said the borough president. “He has a true record of accomplishments for the district. Whether that is changing lives through his work as a

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, former New York State Attorney General [the 61st], former Bronx City Councilman, and former State Assemblyman, Oliver Koppell, announced his endorsement of Jessica Haller, City Council candidate in the 11th District race for which a special election will be held on March 23. “Jessica Haller has the independence, experience, and commitment to policies that will improve our local communities and the whole city,” said Koppell. “She shares my commitment to open government, progressive public policies, protecting and improving the environment, and vigorously supporting public education. She is a grassroots community activist and a welcome change from

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Borough President, Ruben Díaz Jr., is once again inviting Bronx residents to make a difference in their community by applying to join their local Community Board. The Office of The Bronx Borough President will be accepting applications for all 12 Bronx Community Boards from city residents who reside, work or have professional or other significant interests in the borough. “Participation on local Community Boards can provide Bronx residents with a forum to share with their community their expertise and talents,” said Díaz. “There are great things happening in The Bronx that involve the participation of community boards. It

Bronx Teen First Vaping-Related Death in New York State

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Jan. 2, Eric Dinowitz, district leader in the 81st assembly district and Democratic candidate in the 11th District City Council race, for which a special election takes place on March 23, wrote a letter to the City’s Board of Elections to urge the adoption of what he called critical reforms ahead of upcoming elections this year to ensure voters have the resources and opportunity to safely cast their ballots. “To date, the Board of Elections has not done enough to ensure every New Yorker can easily participate in our elections,” he wrote. “Following presidential elections, New York has

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The following is an extended version of the story that appeared in our latest print edition. Citing factors relating to the pandemic, on Nov. 18, the executive committee of the Ben Franklin Reform Democratic Club (BFRDC) voted on a resolution which facilitated a departure from the club’s bylaws relating to what were described in the minutes as two of the club’s “critical functions.” These were to postpone the annual vote to replace them, as members of the executive committee, a vote that would usually take place at the end of each club year, and to cede authority to the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The following story is an extended version of the one published in our latest print edition. Marcos Sierra’s lived experience is unique compared to his fellow candidates in the 11th City Council District race. As a front-line healthcare worker, a survivor of gun violence, and a dad guiding his daughter through the trials and tribulations of remote learning, he said all these factors have helped shape his political outlook. If elected to the now, vacant 11th District seat, following the resignation of former Councilman Andrew Cohen on Dec. 31 to take up a Supreme Court judgeship in

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the fact that former Councilman Andrew Cohen has stepped down from the City Council since Dec. 31, 2020, to take up a judgeship on the Supreme Court based in the Bronx, ahead of the end of his last term in the City Council, and that a special election to find his replacement will not be held until March 23, 2021. We asked readers in District 11 if they feel they will be properly represented until such time as a replacement is elected. “The majority of people in government are driven