East Harlem City Council Race: Tamika Mapp Challenges Diana Ayala

EAST HARLEM, NY — Voters in East Harlem will see four names on their ballots for City Council when they head to the polls in this month's primary election.

They will include Diana Ayala, the incumbent who has represented the neighborhood's District 8 since 2018, and Tamika Mapp, the founder of East Harlem Insurance Brokerage and Tax Service and a Democratic State Committeewoman.

The district also includes much of the South Bronx. Two other candidates, Manuel Onativia and Antoinette D. Glover, are also running but have little visible campaign presence.

Ayala is a well-known figure in East Harlem, having previously served as chief of staff for Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito before winning the seat herself in 2017. Mapp, meanwhile, challenged Robert Rodriguez for East Harlem's State Assembly seat last year, winning 44 percent of the vote.

With less than two weeks remaining until the June 22 primary — and just one day before the start of early voting — Patch is sharing responses from Mapp and Ayala to the issues raised in our neighborhood survey.

1. Many in Harlem are worried about gentrification and the displacement of longtime residents. What is one specific policy you would push for to slow gentrification?

Ayala: The threat of gentrification is real and we have worked hard to ensure that we are doing everything possible to help slow it down. We've done that by ensuring access to an attorney by passing Right to Counsel legislation for tenants facing eviction, and by continuing to fund tenant protection workers that concentrate specifically on communities that may be more vulnerable to higher rates of gentrification than other communities citywide. I have also worked to secure hundreds of affordable housing units in my district.

Mapp: The gentrification and displacement in Harlem is a grave concern for our neighborhood. There are many ways I will address with, but one specific thing that is imperative is increasing homeownership. Increasing homeownership access for local residents can stem the tide of gentrification. I would seek to implement property tax reforms in the council to encourage this sort of homeownership as well as working with CDFIs to create a financing plan that gives people access to capital to fund their mortgages. Increasing home ownership in our District can have a strong impact on halting gentrification.

2. Some East Harlem residents complain that the neighborhood is “over-saturated” with methadone clinics. Would you welcome more services for vulnerable people in the neighborhood, or push for a moratorium?

Mapp: Our neighborhood is bearing an unfair brunt with regards to the large amount of methadone clinics. These clinics are undoubtedly important, but other neighborhood should have these clinics and some of the consequences that come with them. I would push for a moratorium in our neighborhood and work with others in the Council to find other neighborhoods to build them in.

Ayala: As a matter of fair share, I have and will continue to fight back against any future programs being cited in the district. I would most definitely push for a moratorium.

3. Many Harlemites have complained of dirty streets during the pandemic. How would you help clean up the sidewalks?

Ayala: Unfortunately, the DSNY Budget was slashed significantly as a result of budget shortfalls during the height of the pandemic. We expect to see full restoration this fiscal year which I believe will translate into cleaner streets/public spaces. In the interim, we have supplemental cleaning services through the NYC Council's NYC Clean Up initiative funding, while also hosting and/or participating in a number of community clean up events throughout the district.

Mapp: The dirty sidewalks have gotten even worse during the COVID pandemic and our current Council Member has ignored this for too long. To combat this, I will work with the Department of Sanitation as they establish their new commercial carting initiative. As we move to the zoned pickup models the pickup system will be more consistent and streamlined and will lead to less trash left on the streets. I also support the creation of more sealed on-street containers for waste collection. If buildings and businesses have these containers (and BIDs can promote them) then less residential/commercial trash will end up on our streets.

In the coming days, Patch will publish profiles of each candidate containing more of their responses to neighborhood issues.