New York State 10 Year Redistricting Plan - Where Does Roosevelt Island Fit? Elected Officials Lappin and Kellner Reply To RIRA President Katz

 Image of Matt Katz, Jose Serrano, Jessica Lappin & Micah Kellner (front row left to right)

Reported last Friday on testimony Roosevelt Island Residents Association President (RIRA) Matt Katz provided to the NY State Legislative Redistricting Task Force (LATFOR) during public hearings held on September 21. Mr. Katz's statement is here.

Yesterday I received this comment from NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin and NY State Assembly Member Micah Kellner:

We are writing in response to Matthew Katz’s testimony to the state legislative redistricting task force. While Mr. Katz states, “my issues are not with the public servants holding the seat but with the choice of district,” it certainly doesn’t seem that way.

We’d like to set the record straight.

Mr. Katz claims that Senator Jose Marco Serrano doesn’t participate in Community Board 8 activities. That’s just not accurate. Senator Serrano or his staff frequently attend Community Board 8 Full Board meetings. He is also a regular participant in other community and civic events on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.

Mr. Katz also states that, “we Islanders should be represented, across the board, by Upper East Side public servants who will surely be more accessible and more finely attuned to the unique needs of this planned community.”

It’s hard to imagine a public servant more accessible and responsive than Senator Serrano. He is one of the most open and accessible elected officials in the state legislature. And over the years, he has proven himself to be quite attuned to the issues facing the Island.

Lastly, we’d like to point out that the 28th District doesn’t only serve RI, El Barrio, and the South Bronx. It also overlaps with our districts in Yorkville.

In addition to being inaccurate, we found Mr. Katz’s testimony to be needlessly divisive. There certainly are valid arguments that can be made for changing district lines. We hope future comments and testimony on this issue are restricted to those arguments.

Sincerely, Councilwoman Jessica Lappin and Assemblyman Micah Kellner

Mr. Katz responds:

I, too, would like to set the record straight. Our federal and state districts are reconsidered once every ten years following the national census. I was asked by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s office to present testimony at the Manhattan redistricting hearings as the 14th CD is in jeopardy when New York State loses two congressional districts. I agreed to do so. Most of the speakers, including former mayor Ed Koch, Senator Liz Krueger, former Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, representatives from Common Cause and the League of Women Voters, spoke to the unfair and politically motivated methods the State Senate has used to reset districts for decades and the reluctance of New York State government to reform the system with an independent commission.

I did not speak to this question; I was not asked to. My reason for attending was to support Rep. Maloney. However, New York State residents get to chime in only once every ten years. I made it as clear as I knew how that my comments were no reflection upon Sen. Jose Serrano, his predecessor, or any other of our conscientious representatives. To quote from my statement, “We have been represented ably by all our local legislators, including…the incumbent, Senator José Serrano. However, my issues are not with the public servants holding the seat but with the choice of districts.” These sentiments are heartfelt, then and now. The 26th SD IS closer to Roosevelt Island. The 28th SD IS farther away and not contiguous with this community. In a state correctly criticized for gerrymandered districts, my complaint was entirely with the districting process and not with the present seat-holder.

I made one false assumption in my statement: I stated that Sen. Serrano does not participate in Community Board 8, and he does. I don’t attend most of these meetings, having sufficient meetings of my own on Roosevelt Island to occupy my evenings. I assumed that, as CB8’s northern boundary is at 96th Street and that the 28th SD only dips a toe into Yorkville (down to 86th Street) but is primarily located in northern Manhattan and the South Bronx, that Sen. Serrano’s primary community board participation would be in those neighborhoods. I regret the mistake.

When I decided to write a statement and to include my comments on our state senate district, it occurred to me that perhaps I should wait until a less responsive senator occupied that seat. However, given the ten-year hiatus in redistricting, that would have required a wait until the fall of 2021. I have no idea what my role in local politics will be after I turn 75, but there is a likelihood that I will not be responding, or being asked to respond, to the redistricting issues of that future time. Therefore, I made a pitch for a more “common sense” process and conclusion.

I am truly upset that my comments, in which I took exceptional pains to separate the district from its incumbent, were seen as disrespectful to Sen. Serrano. My regard for him is based on his long and consistent labors on our behalf My respect and affection for him, as well as for Councilwoman Lappin and Assemblyman Keller, are second to no one’s. I apologize for giving any other impression.

Matthew M. Katz, President

Roosevelt Island Residents Association

UPDATE 9/28 State Senators Jose Serrano and Liz Krueger reply to Mr. Katz:

We write to you in response to testimony by Roosevelt Island resident Matthew Katz to the New York State Redistricting Task Force.

Although we both believe in Independent Redistricting, and that partisan politics and legislators should not play any role in drawing district lines, there were various inaccuracies in Mr. Katz’s statement that we would like to address.

Mr. Katz stated that “the 28th Senatorial District serves El Barrio and the South Bronx, with Roosevelt Island thrown in as an afterthought.” He also mentioned that the 26th SD has more issues in common with Roosevelt Island than the 28th SD, and that Senator Serrano does not participate in Community Board 8 activities. The 28th District covers parts of the Bronx, East Harlem, and Roosevelt Island, but also a significant portion of Yorkville on the Upper East Side. Senator Serrano has been extremely active and accessible on Roosevelt Island, and we have both had a strong and consistent presence at its corresponding Community Board 8.

We are two of the most progressive members of the Democratic Conference, and anyone would be hard pressed to find a major issue or vote on which we differ. If one views our voting records, to say that the residents of Roosevelt Island would have drastically different legislative representation from either of us is simply inaccurate.

Mr. Katz declared that “Islanders should be represented, across the board, by Upper East Side public servants who will surely be more accessible and more finely attuned to the unique needs of this planned community.” Only he knows for sure what he meant by these words. The fact that a district includes places like East Harlem— a wonderful and diverse neighborhood once represented by then City Council Member Carolyn Maloney— should not disqualify an elected official from representing an equally diverse community like Roosevelt Island. In fact, Roosevelt Island is significantly more diverse than the 26th Senate District, and more closely mirrors the 28th Senate District in terms of its racial and ethnic makeup.

Mr. Katz’s comments were not only incorrect, but also betray the inclusive spirit that is so much a part of the Island. Senator Serrano has long prided himself in the fact that he represents one of the most diverse Senate districts in the state; and Roosevelt Island continues to grow into a multicultural melting pot, very much in line with New York City as a whole.

We are strong advocates for public participation and encourage residents to make valid arguments in regards to redistricting. Our hope is that a fair and independent redistricting process will move forward— one that takes into account accurate and unbiased rationale for any changes to district lines, and that will not be based on inaccurate statements.

Sincerely, Senator José M. Serrano Senator Liz Krueger