Council Republicans split over minority leader vote

The City Council’s six Republicans are split over a vote to anoint their next minority leader after Councilmember Joe Borelli abruptly announced his retirement this week. While three members of the conference elected State Island Councilmember David Carr (right) on Tuesday, the remaining three members, who presumably support a leadership bid by Queens Councilmember Joanna Ariola (left) were absent. File photo by John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit

By Ryan Schwach

A schism has opened up right down the middle of the City Council’s Republican conference over who should be their next minority leader.

The six Republican members of the City Council are split three-to-three on who should lead their conference after Councilmember Joe Borelli announced his plan to resign earlier this week.

Staten Island representative David Carr and Queens rep Joann Ariola are both vying for the minority leader’s office.

Carr, Borelli and Brooklyn Councilmember Inna Vernikov held a vote Tuesday afternoon and unanimously voted for Carr.

However, Ariola’s camp, which includes fellow Queens representative Vickie Paladino and Bronx Councilmember Kristy Marmorato, were not present for the vote. After the proceeding, the trio penned a letter to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams calling the vote a sham and asking her not to certify the results.

The councilmembers led by Ariola alleged that the vote was done improperly and without a quorum, and thus shouldn’t count.

“A purported meeting was held today for the minority delegation that was called with insufficient notice and no agenda, without quorum being met,” Ariola said in a statement to the Eagle. “No business should have been handled without a quorum.”

Ariola claimed that she missed the vote because of a scheduling conflict. Neither Paladino nor Marmorato offered reasons for their absences.

The missing three councilmembers also told the speaker that the vote should be invalidated because Borelli had not given official notice of his resignation.

After laying out their claims, the councilmembers said the vote was “facially defective and should be declared void on its face.”

The three councilmembers asked that the matter be discussed at the Council’s next Stated meeting, and that a formal opinion from the Council’s parliamentarian and the Office of the General Counsel be issued.

Borelli shot back in a comment to the New York Post.

“No one nominated her, no one voted for her,” he said. “She chose to stay home instead. We don’t even have to have a meeting according to our bylaws.”

Carr told the tabloid he would welcome the other three members “with open arms.”