Council Minority Leader James Oddo
Education: St. Francis College (BA), Touro Law School (JD)
Steve Matteo is running for City Council because he believes Staten Island and New York City are headed in the wrong direction. With nine years’ experience working in the City Council, Matteo believes he can navigate the Council and address the issues facing Staten Island. On good government issues, Matteo supports reducing the number of Council committees, noting the many committee meetings takes Staten Island members away from their districts for too long a period. He also supports instant runoff voting. Matteo is concerned that some of Citizens Union’s reform agenda could result in changes inconsistent with Staten Island’s priorities. For example, he notes that Staten Island has benefited from a good relationship with a strong Council Speaker by receiving ample discretionary funding and the opportunity to pass many bills, something unheard of for most minority parties in local legislatures. Outside of reform, Matteo’s first priority is Hurricane Sandy recovery, specifically enrolling Island residents in programs to help them rebuild and get reimbursements. He supports overnight ferry service and expanded express bus service. He supports mayoral control believing the Council can provide better oversight of an agency as opposed to a board, but stresses the need for less teaching to the test and a more meaningful role in decision-making by parents. Matteo departs from Citizens Union’s reform agenda in some instances, but he is well qualified to serve, thoughtful on the issues, and therefore earns our preference for the primary election.
Lisa Giovinazzo – Rep
Has not returned questionnaire
Candidate could not be scheduled for an interview by Citizens Union