NYC Council District 19 Election: Richard Lee Seeks Bayside Seat

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Democratic voters in New York City's 19th Council district, which includes College Point, Whitestone, Malba, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, North Flushing, and Auburndale, will see 6 names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those names will be Richard Lee, Budget Director for the Office of the Queens Borough President.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. Lee's responses are below.

<b>Age (as of Election Day)</b>

38

<b>Position Sought</b>

City Council

<b>Party Affiliation</b>

Democratic

<b>Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)</b>

North Flushing

<b>Family</b>

I live with my wife, Michelle, who grew up in Bayside and is a small business owner, and my three young children who attend our local public school.

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

No.

<b>Education</b>

I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and my Masters Degree in Public Administration from New York University.

<b>Occupation</b>

Most recently, I served as Budget Director in the Office of the Queens Borough President. I was first appointed by Melinda Katz in 2014 and left my position to run for office this year. During my tenure, I oversaw $450 million in investment into Northeast Queens.

<b>Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office</b>

I have not previously held elected office.

<b>Campaign website</b>

richardlee.nyc

<b>Why are you seeking elective office?</b>

My reason for running is the same motivation that compelled me to leave the private sector to join a non-profit organization; the same that led me to enter government. It is a motivation to help those in my community and those around me, and to bring community into government.

<b>The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.</b>

Our quality of life. As Council Member, I will work to reform our property tax code to make it more equitable for our families, improve public safety, fight for resources our community needs for our schools, senior programs, and infrastructure, and to improve the quality of life of our neighborhoods.

<b>What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

I have worked in public service for nearly 15 years, first as a policy director, then as legislative and budget director, and most recently as budget director for the Office of the Queens Borough President. I bring the necessary government and specifically, City budget expertise, combined with fresh ideas and perspectives, to help our community and City recover from the pandemic.

<b>If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)</b>

<b>How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?</b>

Northeast Queens does not get the resources it needs on a day-to-day basis, and it’s clear that the City neglected us during the pandemic as well. For example, we didn’t have a permanent vaccination site in our community for weeks. The City also failed to provide resources to help our food banks thrive, and in my prior role, I fought hard to ensure our food pantries had the funding and supplies to stay open and serve the community. As Council Member, I will fight to fully fund these kinds of programs to ensure people’s day-to-day needs are being met.

<b>Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.</b>

My top three campaign issues are public safety, our quality of life, and ensuring we get much-needed resources into our communities. Our schools receive nearly $2,000 less per pupil than the city-wide average and are operating above capacity. Our roads are crumbling, our police and firefighters are tasked with protecting too many people, and our public transportation network is not designed in a way that best serves the needs of our communities. As a public servant, I’ve always strived to connect the community with our government, and as Council Member, I will work with the community to ensure we can tackle some of these issues that, after many months of talking with voters, are most pressing in District 19.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

Having served as Budget Director for the Queens Borough President, I was tasked with reading through the City’s budget and determining Queens’ budget impact. By doing this, I was able to show that Queens was not receiving it’s fair share of resources, including senior services, education funding, youth programs, and so many others. Having determined this, we were able to fight for an increase in services for the borough, which led to the creation of new school seats, increased funding for our cultural institutions, repairs to parks and playgrounds, and expansion of libraries. I hope to bring this experience as we continue to fight for our fair share here in Northeast Queens.

<b>The best advice ever shared with me was:</b>

Whatever you pursue, give it your all.

<b>What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>

I grew up in Douglaston, my wife grew up in Bayside, and we’re raising our three young children in North Flushing. We both attended our local public schools, and our kids are doing the same. I’ve always been deeply invested in community, and it’s what shaped my viewpoint on how government should work for the people. Our municipal government needs to have community-first approach, and as Council Member, I will work every day to bring our community into the decision making process as the folks on the ground know best what they need.