As of 12:01 AM January 20th, one minute after the deadline to file there are now 11 candidates who have filed petitions to run in the special election for the currently vacant 17th City Council seat. Inside City Hall did a report on the candidates last night interviewing some on camera. One of the candidates interviewed was Current Community Board #2 District Manager Rafael Salamanca. The interview however seemed to have taken place in the office of Community Board #2, and the room of the District Manager. If the interview did take place inside the Community Board #2 office, and in the room of the current District Manager Rafael Salamanca that would be using the Community Board #2 office and District Managers room for political gain. If that is indeed true then it would be a conflict of interest on the part of Community Board #2 District Manager Rafael Salamanca that I am sure that the New York City Conflict of Interest Board would want to know about. It appears there have been other community board district managers who have mixed politics and their position as a District Manager who were cited by the New York City Conflict of Interest Board, fined, and worse. This has happened in the Bronx, and one such incident was very recent. Shortly afterwards there was a new District Manager hired by that community board. I am not accusing Mr. Salamanca of anything, but I have given the Community Board #2 office a Freedom of Information Letter requesting six different items that I am seeking to see or get information of. This FOIL request was given to the Community Board office on Monday January 19th addressed to the Chair of Community Board #2 Dr. Ian S. Amiritt. Since the information requested (that should have been in the community board office) was not available when I asked to see it, I may have to find other means of getting that information as I don't expect to see it before the special election that the District Manager of Community Board #2 Mr. Rafael Salamanca is involved in. Since the Bronx Democratic County organization is heavily involved in the Salamanca campaign, I wonder if the U.S. Attorney's office has not already started its investigation.
This morning Former Assemblyman turned journalist Michael Benjamin reported that candidates Carlton Curry and Helen Hines Foreman did not file certificates of acceptances, and should be ruled off the ballot by the Board of Elections at the petition hearings. Benjamin also reported that candidate Amanda Septimo's petition has a fatal flaw that will also invalidate her petition, because the word Democratic appears on it.
I have been told that there are two other candidates who will be thrown off the ballot, but the information has not been confirmed yet, so the names are not being printed. That would leave only 6 candidates, and that number could be reduced by one or more by the time the election rolls around.
More updates as they happen.
