By Rich Bockmann
None of the candidates for borough president disagree on which one among them has the backing of Queens’ political and business establishment, but they do differ on how that should sway voters in next week’s general election.
In the three-way race to succeed term-limited Borough President Helen Marshall, Melinda Katz is viewed to be the heavy favorite after winning the Democratic primary with the backing of the county party and strong support from real estate and lobbying interests.
In addition to being the borough’s main cheerleader, the borough president weighs in on land use decisions and allocates both capital and operating budget funds. The office also appoints members to several key commissions and boards.
Katz’s opponents in the Nov. 5 general election include a pro-union Republican and a businessman who ran against her in the Democratic primary. With few glaring differences among the candidates on stances of policy, the race has boiled down to a debate between continuity and a call for a change in direction.
“It’s a very important election, whoever they choose for the next four years. I hope they take into consideration my background and my experience,” said Republican Tony Arcabascio, who oversees information technology construction projects for North Shore-LIJ health systems. “I know my place. I know who I work for. I certainly don’t work for the real estate developers. I work for the voters.”
Everly Brown, who is running on the Jobs & Education Party line after coming in third place in the Democratic primary, echoed the same sentiment.
“[The voters] must understand one thing. This is a controlled borough. It’s controlled by the Democrats,” said Brown, who runs a construction firm. “The people understand I am the right candidate and I am not beholden to anybody. There will not be any change under Melinda Katz. It will be politics as usual.”
Katz does not shy away from her credentials. She has a breadth of experience in the Democratic Party, including stints in the state Assembly and the City Council, where she chaired the powerful Land Use Committee. Following an unsuccessful bid for city comptroller, she joined the influential real estate lobbying firm Greenberg Traurig, a position she resigned from last year to run for borough president.
This week she picked up the endorsement of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Holliswood native, and said her connections are an asset her opponents lack.
“The elected officials in the borough of Queens are mostly Democrats and I think the fact that they’ve decided to support me is an asset,” Katz said. “I think a lot of mistakes new people in government make is not realizing the importance of being able to have that experience to bring to the table in order to bring resources back to the district they represent. You only really get that with experience.”
Reach reporter Rich Bockmann by e-mail at rbockmann@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4574.
