NYC Council District 7 Election: Ray Sanchez Seeks Uptown Seat

NEW YORK, NY — Voters in New York City's 7th Council district, which includes West Harlem, Morningside Heights and parts of Washington Heights and the Upper West Side, will see 12 names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those names will be Raymond Sanchez Jr., CEO of the homeless services provider Aguila, and is a former policy manager for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. Sanchez's responses are below.

Age (as of Election Day)

42

Position Sought

City Council District 7

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)

West Harlem/Washington Heights

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Rutgers Law School, J.D., Wesleyan University B.A.

Occupation

I am currently the CEO of Aguila, Inc., a New York City funded homeless services provider. I am an attorney with an over twenty-year career across diverse sectors including financial services, academia, non-profit, and seven years in New York government. I worked for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., from 2011-2018. I served as the agency's General Counsel and Policy Manager. Borough President Diaz also appointed me to the City’s franchise board (the Franchise and Concession Review Committee “FCRC”), as a pension trustee (New York City Employees’ Retirement System “NYCERS”) and the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Council (“REDC”). I also spent five years in financial services (banking, securities and insurance) during and after law school. Prior to law school, I worked at the Hispanic Federation. I have also taught at Borough of Manhattan Community College for four semesters.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I served as the General Counsel and Senior Policy Manager for the Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr., from 2011-2018. In this role, I oversaw all legal matters and the implementation of an agency policy agenda. I also served on several boards and committees on behalf of the Borough President, including as a trustee to the New York City Employees Retirement System (“NYCERS”), a $200 billion pension program. I also sat on the New York City Regional Economic Development Council (“REDC”) where I was instrumental in securing a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award. Lastly, I also served on the New York City Franchise and Concession Review Committee (“FCRC”).

Campaign website

www.raysanchez4cd7.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am a lifelong Manhattanite, committed to public service. After four years of Trump, seven years of de Blasio incompetence, and an ongoing pandemic; we desperately need experienced and knowledgeable public servants who know how to get things done, now more than ever before. Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to creating a better city for all of us. Currently, I serve as the CEO of a New York City homeless services provider, and everyday I am working for our most vulnerable New Yorkers. In my personal time, I’ve raised thousands of dollars for scholarships and serve on non-profits boards like Arete Education, which drives performance and creates opportunities for low income middle school and high school students in local community schools. I want to leverage my experience to help bring New York City back after COVID.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our City and our District is how we use space. For example, JPMorgan Chase, “New York’s largest commercial tenant and private-sector employer, will move to more open-seating arrangements and only 60 chairs may be needed for every 100 employees because not everyone will come to the office at the same time, Dimon said. The CEO estimated “maybe 10%” of staffers would work from home full time.” Per their most recent annual report, they occupied about 9.1 million square feet in the city at the end of last year. This is a growing trend that has vast implications for our economic recovery. As a Council Member, I would use our rezoning and legislative powers to accelerate the conversion of office space to high quality classrooms. We have to reduce class size and restore confidence in our public schools. Quality of life must be a priority for the short and long term economic recovery of New York City. If talent does not want to be here because they do not have confidence in the school, they will leave. Employers will follow them. Moreover, I would support the conversion of hotels to affordable and supportive housing; the Wall Street Journal recently reported 20% of the city’s 125,000+ hotel rooms may not reopen. I have been the CEO of a City funded homeless services provider since October 2020. This experience has taught me that we have to dramatically change our approach to homelessness.

See https://www.crainsnewyork.com/...

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Unlike all the other candidates, I do not talk about the aspirational, I talk about deliverables. I talk about actual achievements I have gotten done. Whether it's a $10 million award for the South Bronx that I was the main author of the application, or passing the New York City Living Wage Law, which increased incomes for real New Yorkers, we made government more efficient, effective and inclusive. Additionally, I am the only candidate that supports keeping "Member Deference" at the City Council so we can maintain greater accountability.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Most of the other candidates talk about the aspirational, I talk about deliverables. I talk about actual achievements I have accomplished. Whether it is a $10 million award for the South Bronx that I was the main author of the application, or passing the New York City Living Wage Law, which increased incomes for real New Yorkers, we made government more efficient, effective and inclusive. Additionally, I am the only candidate that supports keeping "Member Deference" at the City Council so we can maintain greater accountability. “Member deference” is a long standing policy at the City Council, where on matters of land use, members vote and follow the wishes of the Councilmember in whose district the land use change is proposed.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

As I have knocked on doors in the district, constituents regularly express that their requests to local officials have been ignored. Last week, I reached out to NYCHA on behalf of a constituent who informed me that her kitchen cabinets were removed a year ago and never replaced. Consequently, I contacted NYCHA and am happy to share that this resident has brand new cabinets. Prior to the pandemic, trash collection and other City services in the District have been insufficient, especially in the northern part of the district past 120th Street.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

We have a progressive platform, three of my priorities are education, essential workers and homelessness. Education: The pandemic has intensified the race and income inequities in our educational system. It is time to pay teachers more and dramatically reduce classroom size. Essential workers: These heroes have kept our City running in its darkest moments. I want to convert the recent over-production of rentals and hotels into co-ops for essential workers and affordable housing. We need to empower these families with City programs that create home ownership opportunities for these vital New Yorkers. Homelessness: We must dramatically change our approach. For decades, we have overpaid bad landlords and bad actors millions, if not billions, of tax-payer money, which should have gone to building affordable and supportive housing. JPMorgan and other large employers have already stated publicly they are dramatically reducing their office space holdings. I want to convert that space to schools to reduce class size.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As noted above, I am no stranger to New York government and have a track record of getting things done. More recently, I will cite my appointment as CEO of Aguila, Inc., (“Aguila”) as an example, which was covered in the New York Post. Although I had just joined the organization weeks prior, the organization’s Board of Directors asked me to take over as CEO, after the New York State Attorney raided Aguila and other sites as part of a large sweep.
Furthermore, I have overcome adversity my entire life. I was raised by a single mother in a NYCHA complex during the Reagan War on Drugs. I successfully navigated boarding school on a scholarship, starting at age eleven, to enroll at a highly selective university where I wrote an honors thesis. After losing my father in the 9-11, World Trade Center attacks, at age 22, I became the executor of his estate. The experience motivated me to go on to law school, pass the bar exam and become a lawyer admitted to practice law in New York.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

I was eleven years old when I learned the phrase “qui non proficit deficit” which is Latin for “the person not moving forward falls behind.” It has kept me focused and driven my whole life. As an adult, I balance that with a commitment to wellness and health. I have practiced yoga consistently for well over five years, and completed a 30-day Bikram yoga (fixed sequence of 26 postures, practised in a room heated to 105 °F/41 °C) challenge in 2019.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I was inspired to enter this race in August after working with local groups to address food insecurity in the community during the pandemic. As a child, I was given amazing opportunities but with a mandate to pay it forward, which has guided my entire career. I am a lifelong Manhattanite, committed to public service. After four years of Trump, seven years of de Blasio and an ongoing pandemic; we desperately need experienced and knowledgeable public servants who know how to get things done, NOW more than ever before.
Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to creating a better city for all of us. Currently, I serve as the CEO of a New York City homeless services provider, and everyday I am working for our most vulnerable New Yorkers. In my personal time, I’ve raised thousands of dollars for scholarships and serve on non-profits boards like Arete Education, which drives performance and creates opportunities for low income students.
Real Talk, Real Experience, Real Action! Please visit our website at www.raysanchez4cd7.com.
I look forward to working with and for you!
Thank you, Ray