Several local elected officials and civic leaders gathered on Saturday, June 7, for the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s “Community Conversation and Saturday Brunch,” held at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center. The event gave constituents an opportunity to engage directly with policymakers, hear about recent legislative actions and raise pressing neighborhood concerns.
Hosted by Bay Terrace Community Alliance President Matthew Silverstein, the event drew a large turnout of local residents and civic stakeholders. Silverstein thanked Cord Meyer Development for sponsoring the venue and cited recent community wins, including the reopening of the Bay Terrace Library, the partial redesign of its adjacent playground, ongoing renovations at P.S. 169, and the 109th Precinct’s plans to establish a permanent satellite location in the neighborhood.
Among the speakers were Manhattan Borough President and NYC Comptroller candidate Mark Levine, Assemblymembers Edward Braunstein and Jenifer Rajkumar, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, Council Member Vickie Paladino and State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky. Also addressing the audience were Guardian Angels founder and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa and Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman.
Levine, who is seeking the city’s chief fiscal watchdog position in 2025, discussed the city’s affordability crisis and the urgent need to reform the property tax system. He also criticized the city’s inadequate mental health services.
“We have a lot of challenges in New York right now,” Levine said. “I’m running for Comptroller to fight on every front — to get costs under control, reform unfair property taxes, and invest in mental health services so we can bring people off the street and into care.”
Mark Levine addresses attendees of the Community Conversation. Photo by Ethan MarshallAssemblymember Braunstein expanded on new mental health legislation passed as part of the state budget, which broadens the criteria for involuntary intervention beyond immediate physical danger to include individuals unable to meet basic needs. He also noted stricter discharge requirements for hospitals and discussed recent reforms to discovery laws aimed at streamlining evidence requirements in criminal cases.
Additionally, Braunstein pointed to efforts to strengthen police recruitment in New York City by enhancing pension benefits, arguing the city was struggling to retain officers compared to suburban departments like Nassau County.
Congressman Tom Suozzi, who represents parts of Queens and Long Island, criticized provisions of what he referred to as former President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” While supportive of many aspects, Suozzi condemned tax cuts for the wealthy and healthcare reductions. He called for bipartisan cooperation and outlined immigration reform as a top priority.
“We need to fix the broken asylum system, secure the border, and provide a pathway to legalization for long-term residents,” Suozzi said, noting that a large portion of agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented.
Council Member Vickie Paladino discussed bureaucratic inefficiencies in city agencies, emphasizing the impact on basic services like sidewalk repairs and street median maintenance. She said she has allocated nearly $300,000 in discretionary funding to keep key areas in her district clean and advocated for allowing local contractors to more easily obtain permits through city agencies.
“We can break it down to a local level, where I can call someone up and they can work through the city to get the job done quickly,” Paladino said.
Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, currently running for New York City Public Advocate, focused on public safety and her legislative work to close illegal cannabis dispensaries. She highlighted her “SMOKEOUT Act” and called for stronger citywide responses to rising antisemitic hate crimes.
“New York City leadership must step up and act decisively against antisemitic violence,” Rajkumar said.
Following the event, the Bay Terrace Community Alliance issued a statement celebrating the community’s strong participation.
“We were blown away by the amazing turnout,” the group said. “We are pleased to announce that this event will return seasonally. Our next ‘Community Conversation & Saturday Brunch’ will return in the fall.”
