Governor Cuomo continues to delay forwarding two of Mayor de Blasio’s MTA board nominees to the State Senate for confirmation. Because of this, NYC residents are 89% of MTA riders, yet only comprise only 33% of voting MTA board members. The Mayor’s two nominees have been waiting since February for the Governor to send their names to the State Senate for confirmation. The nominees, Victor Calise and Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, are both NYC residents.
Reinvent Albany and 15 other groups sent a letter to the Governor calling for the NYC appointees to be promptly sent for confirmation. The Senate is back in session the week of June 8th.
With the appointment of Calise and Cortés-Vázquez, NYC representation on the board would be greatly improved. The Governor also has a vacant seat which was held previously by Sarah Feinberg (now interim NYCT President), a Manhattan resident. During a period of tremendous internal turmoil, huge budget problems and COVID-19 related disruptions, 5 MTA boards seats – nearly 30% of voting seats – are empty.
For more information about MTA Board members see Reinvent Albany’s report, Who is the MTA Board? (July 2019).
