As the clock ticks closer to city primaries on Tuesday, September 10, The Courier would like to provide you, the reader and the voter, with a fair, detailed guide of who is running. Here is a list of the Queens borough president primary candidates, who they are, what they stand for and what they want to continue to do if they go on to the general election in November.
Name: Everly Brown
Party: Democrat
Current Occupation: Real Estate Developer, Foreclosure Consultant
Personal Info: Everly Brown was born in Jamaica and has been a Queens resident for 47 years. He has been a community activist for more than 30 years and has attended St. Francis College: BA, Washington Business Institute: AAS, St. John’s University: Basic Real Estate law.
Issues/Platforms: Key Issues: Jobs, Education, Affordable housing, Advocacy, Equality, Transparency in Government, Transportation, Public Safety and Participatory Democracy.
Platform: Reform Ballot Initiative, so that democracy can be streamlined.
Name: Melinda Katz
Party: Democrat
Current Occupation: Attorney, formerly of Greenberg Traurig
Personal Info: Melinda Katz has been a tireless advocate for Queens and a trusted public servant for 20 years, serving as a member of the New York City Council, New York State Assembly and director of community boards for former Borough President Claire Schulman. As a legislator, Katz focused on affordable housing, improving schools and expanding healthcare services by passing the first law in the country to require HMOs to cover OBGYN services. A lifelong resident of Queens, Katz is a product of public schools. She attended college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and St. John’s University School of Law. Currently, Katz and her family are raising their two children, Carter and Hunter, in the house where she grew up.
Issues/Platforms: As borough president, Katz will work with all communities to expand access to health care, create affordable housing and stimulate economic development across Queens. To relieve overcrowding in Queens’ nine remaining hospitals, Katz has called for the opening of primary and urgent care facilities throughout the borough. To attract and strengthen local business, Katz will work with partners in government to expand tax incentives for new or expanding businesses who hire locally.
Name: Peter F. Vallone Jr.
Party: Democrat
Current Occupation: City Councilmember, Public Safety Committee Chair
Personal Info: Father of two girls; former prosecutor; graduate of Fordham College and Fordham Law School
Issues/Platforms: For 12 years, Peter F. Vallone Jr. has served in the New York City Council. As the head of public safety committee, he worked with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to cut crime by 35 percent. He also worked tirelessly to pass tough laws on graffiti vandals, sex offenders and gun traffickers.
As a homeowner, Vallone also knows how tough it is to own a home in Queens. That’s why he is the ONLY candidate who voted against raising property taxes and fought water rate increases.
Vallone is also a small business owner. Small businesses in Queens are the backbone of the borough, which is why he worked to reduce unnecessary regulations and replace some fines with warnings so they can continue to thrive and drive the economy.
As the father of two girls who went to public schools, Vallone knows the importance of a safe learning environment. He wrote the law to put security cameras in schools and sponsored legislation to allow our kids to carry cells phones to and from school to ensure their safety.
*NOTE: Despite the fact that State Senator Tony Avella announced he was dropping out of the Queens borough president race on August 14, his name will still be on the ballot during the September 10 primary election.
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