By COLlive reporter
Ede Fox, with 6 years experience in the New York City Council, is running to represent the 35th District as Council Member.
In a recent endorsement, the New York Times called her the “strongest” candidate from among the top three women running for the post. The other two are Laurie Cumbo and Olanike Alabi whom we interviewed separately.
She is the Chair of the Environment/Sanitation Committee on Community Board 8 and has served as Legislative/Budget Director for Melissa Mark-Viverito and then Chief of Staff for Jumaane Williams.
Tell us about your background.
I was born and raised in New York City. My parents were Civil Rights lawyers, and my mother is a former federal prosecutor who raised me with a deep respect for education.
I attended The Brearley School, then went to Vassar College and University of Michigan and for my Bachelors. I received my Master’s in Anthropology from UCLA and Advanced to Candidacy for my Doctorate before deciding to turn to public service in Brooklyn.
Why are you running for New York City Council Member for the 35th District?
Over the last 10 years, the very fabric of our communities has changed dramatically. Rent has doubled. Traffic and parking is difficult, transit fares continue to increase and service cuts perpetually plague our community. We need leadership with creative solutions, and commitment to community, to make sure the right decisions are made.
I want to make sure that the changes in our community make us better, make us stronger. I want to make sure that the cultural fabric, the harmonious, diverse glue that holds us together, remains a part of our lives.
Why should people vote for you?
Many residents of our corner of Brooklyn are getting pushed out of their homes. I am the only candidate who has worked in the City Council, and in that capacity I worked with community and real estate developers to build more than 1,000 units of affordable housing. That means that families can live in New York through my work.
Brooklyn is changing, and we need to make sure that vibrant communities have a chance to thrive. But if you don’t have a place to live, you can’t be part of the community. I will work to bring appropriate affordable housing, including apartments for larger families.
What will be your top priorities if elected?
Housing is my top priority, and you can visit my website to see my recently released three-point plan. Education is also core to my beliefs, and we need to pay special attention to children with special needs. One of the top priorities of every elected official should be the safety of the residents.
What can be done to help local small businesses?
We need to simplify city codes so that local businesses aren’t constantly fined and penalized through over complex regulations. Working in the City Council, I worked with developers so that they helped fund seed capital and low interest loans for local businesses.
We have areas in the district zoned for manufacturing, and I would like to provide incentives to help create and expand locally-owned businesses. We have a lot of unexplored opportunities.
Can you elaborate on affordable housing?
I am firmly committed to preserving and building affordable housing. While working in the City Council for 6 years I helped build more than 1000 units of affordable units and helped preserve thousands more units. We must ensure that development in the 35th is responsible and serves the needs of the community that’s here already.
I have a three point plan to preserve affordable housing. We must organize residents so that they have the tools to fight back against unscrupulous landlords. We must put pressure on DHCR to do proper oversight to ensure rent stabilized units remain so. We must continue to fund and expand programs that help fixed income home owners stay in their homes.
We must build affordable housing that is truly affordable to the people in the community and we must make sure the housing built has a good mix of larger sized apartments with multiple bedrooms for larger families. We must also institute mandatory inclusionary zoning so all new developments include affordable units as well. I have the experience to do all this and look forward to advocating for affordable housing in the 35th.
With your permission, I’d like to discuss another point.
Sure. Go right ahead.
There are people in Crown Heights who are working full time, paying their taxes, and contributing to the community. One of the greatest expenses is tuition costs. It makes it almost impossible to raise your family, even with a decent salary and even if both parents work. It can add up to $40,000 to $50,000 just to educate your children. At the same time, they are paying taxes but not getting the services that every family should expect.
Very true. What are you suggesting?
We have find a creative solution for people who are paying their taxes so some of this money goes to their tuition costs. I believe we can find a solution for this crisis. Elected leaders have said in the past that there are roadblocks for an equitable solution, but it is the job of the City Council to solve problems like this. There is no reason why these roadblocks should stop us. I have confidence that we can find a solution for this tuition crisis.
VOTING INFO
The New York City’s 35th Council District includes the neighborhoods Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant and parts of Crown Heights (Nostrand to Utica above Empire Blvd.)
The Primary Election is this Tuesday, September 10th. There is a poll site in the Crown Heights neighborhood at St. Marks’s Day School, located at 1346 President Street.
The schools are running a business, the teachers are getting minimum wage, where is all the $$ going to??
my taxes should fund muslim schools in crown heights too. aint allah great
spot on.
Sounds liek Obama! want Noting to due wiht her!
she sounds like a great candidate
she went to brearley
enough said.
if so change eastern parkway from 3 days to 1 day as well as the rest of ch how many tickets are given every shabbos to people who park on EP and are stuck for shabbos
There are other ways to get funding for schools. She is saying do whatever it takes as long as it gets done. don’t limit it to vouchers.
The only solution is vouchers let her say the word if she cant its all nonsense dont let her get away with political say-everything-mean-nothing. Democrats oppose voucher because their in the tank with the union and we are to support democrats?
I’ ve met Ms. Fox many times. She is by far the most thoughtful an d intelligent of all the candidates. We need someone who will listen to our concerns. All the candidates wil talk their tlak, but she’s the only one who has built affordable housing working at City Hall.
Looks like a good lady.