Gale Brewer Outlines Why She Should Be Elected Council Speaker

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Gale Brewer will be the next City Council representative for the Upper West Side, but what's not as certain is if she'll be the next Speaker.

Brewer, who currently serves as the Manhattan Borough President and held the UWS City Council seat from 2002 through 2013, announced at the end of October that she would be running for the Speaker position.

The Speaker is elected by the Council's 51 members in January, which will include 30 new members.

On Sunday, she penned an "Opinion" letter in the Gotham Gazette breaking down how her experience would make her the best person for the job.

"As Speaker, I'll lead a more member-driven body that empowers Council Members to vote their conscience," Brewer wrote in her letter. "Should you elect me as your Speaker, I will leverage the significant political capital and goodwill that I have earned over decades of public service."

"I know that from my own experience on the Council, individual members are not always properly supported. That’s a primary reason why I'm running to be Speaker," Brewer added. "I'll make sure that Council Members have more budget to hire talented staff, are assisted with expenses such as renting a district office (with funds that are separate from personnel budget), and that there are no favorites or needless intrigue with the Council's central staff on issues related to land use, the city budget, and bill drafting."

The Speaker sets the legislative agenda for the Council, makes appointments to important Council committees, and is seen as a check on the Mayor's executive powers.

The Speaker also plays a massive role in producing the city's annual budget.

The other Speaker candidates include Carlina Rivera, Keith Powers, Adrienne Adams, Diana Ayala, Francisco Moya and Justin Brannan.

You can read Brewer's full open letter addressed to the other New York City Council members on the Gotham Gazette website.