Should Roosevelt Island residents elect a majority of the members of the RIOC Board of Directors?

The RIRA Common Council decided at 12:12 a.m. a week ago Wednesday night to put that question on the November 7 Residents Association ballot.  The outcome of the referendum will be advisory only, without force of law; any change in the Island's status would have to be implemented through legislation.

The present members of the RIOC Board (as well as the President of RIOC) are appointed by the Governor, or represent departments of the State executive branch.  Over the years, a number of efforts have been mounted to increase resident representation on the Board (there are resident members at present, all gubernatorial appointees) or to select several or all of the Board members by popular election on Roosevelt Island.  The most recent effort has been conducted largely by the Maple Tree Group (MTG), formed in 1997 and later incorporated into RIRA's committee structure.

The revised form of the ballot question was decided upon after a lengthy discussion largely centered on the Island's finances, with Maple Tree Group members arguing in favor of putting the matter on the ballot, and others, led by RIRA President Patrick Stewart, arguing against it.  Stewart and Katz are running against each other in the current Residents Association election.  (Transcript of key comments in the Council's discussion / Katz and Stewart views.)

Stewart argued against putting the question on the ballot, saying that a change to a mostly-elected RIOC Board would be "fiscal irresponsibility" and "financial suicide."  Katz and Maple Tree Group members countered that the State has not provided subsidies for the Island for years and that a mostly- elected RIOC Board would, if anything, enhance the Island's ability to procure State funds for its needs.  The key threads of Stewart's and Katz's arguments are given, condensed from their comments on the RIRA meeting, in a box accompanying this article (see page 10).

Stewart argued that the Island faces $40 million to $50 million in needed infrastructure repairs, and for holding the State responsible for the funding needed.  MTG members argued that an elected Board, unlike the present appointed Board, would be more aggressive in seeking the needed funds from the State.

Joan Christianson, running for RIRA's First Vice Presidency with Stewart, expressed a concern about whether the final form of legislation that might pass both houses of the State Legislature and be signed by the Governor would be what the Island needs.  "Is that a chance we're willing to take?" she asked.  Referring to a early-1980s effort to secure election of RIOC Board members, she added, "I fear getting screwed as they did before."

Ron Vass, an MTG member but not a Common Councilor, said, "In 1982 I was very involved.  The way we got screwed, Joan, was the way we're going to get screwed now.  We had the opportunity to have [an elected] Board but we surrendered the privilege of voting for those people... by giving it to the Governor to do just what he's doing now.  We have to take control.  We were there and we lost it."

Audrey Berman expressed concern about whether State indemnification - protection against catastrophic losses in legal actions - would survive a change in the composition of the RIOC Board of Directors.  She expressed an interest in pursuing a course which would ultimately remove the State from Island affairs by terminating the Lease between the City and the State under which this City property is under State control.  Others countered that the "City option" had not been developed adequately to put it on the November ballot.

Judy Berdy said she favored leaving the question off the ballot, and letting Katz and Stewart slug it out in the election campaign, pointing out that, "There's an officer [Katz] who wants this, a person [Stewart] who has other opinions.  You vote for the person... who supports what you want."

Joyce Mincheff, an MTG member, argued that residents are effectively taxed twice for services on the Island - through City and State taxes, and through rents, a portion of which pays for the services residents get.  "You have a right to elect the people that make the decisions in this local community about what they do with your money.  The State of New York treats this community like it's their own private little fiefdom.  We are not a colony.  They're using our money to operating Roosevelt Island.  We are entitled for these [Board members] to ask the Governor for some tax dollars.  The Governor's appointees are not going to ask for it."  Mincheff also argued that the City would be unlikely to "go to war" with the State to take back a community with "humongous fiscal problems."

Putting the question to the Councilors, Linda Heimer told them, "Democracy is not perfect.  There will be mistakes.  But we will have the power to control it by our votes...  We need local control."

A test vote on whether there should be a referendum question at all was affirmative, 13 to 7, with two members abstaining.  After some further discussion, the final vote was then taken, with the 13 to 8 outcome.  (Two Councilors left the meeting between the votes; another returned.)