The leading contenders for Manhattan BP discuss their solutions for the borough

While the role of Manhattan borough president is largely ceremonial, it does have significant power in the land use review process and has served as a steppingstone for some noteworthy political careers, including Robert F. Wagner Jr. and David Dinkins. This year, the Democratic primary race to replace Mark Levine is largely between New York City Council Member Keith Powers and state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, with Dr. Calvin Sun also appearing on the ballot. With the two main candidates hailing from opposite sides of the borough, the race has been characterized as an east versus west battle. Powers’ district covers neighborhoods from Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village to the Upper East Side along Central Park. Hoylman-Sigal represents an area from the West Village to the Upper West Side. City & State New York Editor-in-Chief Ralph R. Ortega spoke with the candidates at an online forum hosted by the Broadway Association on May 15. The answers have been edited for length and clarity.

This has become an interesting East Side versus West Side race. What would you say is the biggest difference between you and your opponent?

Keith Powers: I have a strong record here as a City Council member, solving for many of the challenges that are facing us and being willing to confront them directly. We talk about the housing crisis here in the city at a 1.7% vacancy rate. I have deep experience leading in the City Council on efforts to try to build more housing here so that we can make sure there’s opportunity in every single district, standing up for my own council district, solving for homelessness and taking big political risks while making sure we solve big-ticket problems.

Brad Hoylman-Sigal: For me, it’s what I see on a daily basis as a parent who takes my daughter into the subway station as she waits to go to the Upper West Side to school. I see the struggles on a daily basis and I fear for her well-being. That’s a very parental concern that I think distinguishes me. I’ve also been focused on hate crimes. Perhaps it is because I’m Jewish and a member of the LGBTQ community that I think about that more, but I think that’s a distinguishing feature of my candidacy and my background in public service.

How would you describe the coalition of people backing you?

Powers: Very diverse, whether it’s the neighbors they represent from Chinatown up to Inwood in Washington Heights, East Harlem, East Side or West Side. We are doing it with a very big and broad coalition. And, I should mention all the labor unions that have stepped up and supported us as well – the Hotel Trade Council, 32BJ, DC 37 and building trade laborers, people who want to see a middle class that continues to be vibrant here in the city. I strongly believe I represent the candidate in the race that, as somebody who grew up in a rent-stabilized neighborhood, has fought for tenants and really understands the plight of the middle class.

Hoylman-Sigal: I think it’s a telling difference. The people who are supporting me represent my own district. I’ve worked with them closely on a whole host of issues, big infrastructure issues, like the Penn Station redevelopment, the Port Authority Bus Terminal redevelopment, the Gateway project, which is going to bring in thousands of people daily into New York City, getting noisy choppers out of Hudson River Park and the development that we’ve seen along the West Side Highway. Not only do I identify an issue, I can build a coalition around it to get the job done.

What do you think is the best policy for outdoor dining? Is the current policy working?

Powers: It does not seem to be working. One of the things I think we should all be applauded for at the beginning of the COVID pandemic was moving quickly to get a program set up to help rescue our small businesses and restaurants. In an effort to try to address some of the deficiencies of it, we did want to come up with a better solution. But, a lot of restaurants are not applying for it because it’s too cumbersome or too expensive. I do think it’s time to have a conversation about what’s working, what’s not working, and actually try to address those things.

Hoylman-Sigal: I’ve always appreciated outdoor dining. I feel like some restaurants have been jerked around. I’ve gotten complaints from them that they feel like the requirements were unfair, onerous, kind of slapdash. But I’m a strong supporter of outdoor dining, which can contribute to safer streets, and it’s important to small businesses. Another thing I want to change is the really unfair commercial rent tax that runs from 96th Street down to Reade Street. No other place in the five boroughs do small businesses have to pay an additional tax on their rent.

What would be your plan for addressing homelessness and mentally ill people in Manhattan?

Powers: I’d say start with three things. One is the City Council’s new outreach programs in places like Times Square and the Garment District. I would love to see that expanded. Second, we obviously need to continue to add capacity when it comes to both mental health beds and services for our homeless individuals, as well as improve the safety in some of our homeless shelters, which I think still deters people from entering in the first place. But we need to add capacity, and Manhattan has to be part of that equation. Third is updating commitment laws here, because we see people every single day who need help, need services, and yet we have failed them.

Hoylman-Sigal: I was part of the solution in Albany to modernize our commitment law. I contributed to legislation that expands the number of mental health professionals who can make that designation. That’s the front end of the problem. The back end of the problem is that we don’t have enough psychiatric beds, so we have to ramp those up. I also pushed the state to secure a Medicaid waiver for hospitals and psychiatric care. The third thing is supportive housing. In Chelsea at the women’s correctional facility, I helped lead an effort to make that former prison supportive housing. We need to get people struggling with mental illness into supportive housing for wraparound care.