Constituent Services Are “Job One” For City Council Candidate Bernadette Ferrara

 

CouncilStat Database Shows Constituent Services Have Not Been Provided in District 15 for Months

 City Council Candidate Bernadette Ferrara, running in the Bronx District 15 Democratic Primary election, pledges to make constituent service her highest priority. Ferrara, who has a long history of service to her Van Nest community, says she knows first-hand how difficult it is for residents to deal with the city’s bureaucracy.

“I deal with the frustration people experience when trying to get the services or help they’re entitled to by the city. Often it’s heartbreaking to see people try to tackle the bureaucracy,” says Ferrara. “I believe elected officials should use the power of their office to help the people they represent, not to promote themselves. I will focus on cutting through the bureaucratic red tape and making city agencies accountable to the residents of this city.”

District 15’s City Council seat was vacant for nearly five months after Ritchie Torres was sworn into Congress, and it is unclear whether or how constituent needs were met on such matters as applying for U.S. citizenship, housing maintenance issues, help with taxes, and quality of life complaints, says Ferrara.

“The CouncilStat database, which tracks requests for help and how constituents get a response, shows only a handful of contacts from mid-December of last year to mid-January of this year – and nothing since then,” says Ferrara. “Given the volume of questions and complaints each year since 2015, it doesn’t appear that constituent services in District 15 are being provided at all in 2021.”

In her capacity as president of Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance (VNNA), Ferrara says she has been serving the needs of the people in her community without skipping a beat since the beginning of the year, while also running for office.

“I've been on top of every complaint or request from community residents – my future constituents – on all quality of life issues, including illegal car washes, commercial vehicles parked on residential streets after 9 p.m., loud music late at night, and even aggressive raccoons.” Ferrara adds, “I have also continued to lead VNNA monthly meetings, and attend 49th Precinct Council meetings every month.”

Most recently, Ferrara testified before the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform about how several of its proposed changes to property tax rates would raise taxes on owners of one- to three-family homes in District 15 high enough to drive them out of The Bronx.

“The city doesn’t belong to the bureaucrats, and it doesn’t belong to the criminals. It’s our city – the people who work hard, obey the law and pay their taxes – and I think it’s worth fighting for,” says Ferrara. “That’s what I will do when elected. Fight for the people I represent.”