Brooklyn Borough President Race: Pearlene Fields Seeks Office

BROOKLYN, NY — As early voting begins in New York City, the stage is set for voters in Brooklyn to choose who will become their next borough president.

The June 22 primary will feature 11 Democratic candidates vying to replace Borough President Eric Adams, who is running to become New York City's next mayor.

Among them is Pearlene Fields, a member of Community Board 17 and has worked in business administration at various nonprofit organizations.

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

Age (as of Election Day)

53

Position Sought

Brooklyn Borough President

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Neighborhood of residence

Flatbush

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Undergrad - Pace University, NYC. Grad - Middlesex University, London

Occupation

Over 20 years experience in Business Administration

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Currently a member of CB17 where I'm on the Land-use committee and the Housing Committee chair.

Campaign website

www.pearlene4ny.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I was born and raised in Brooklyn and believe I have a good understanding of our many needs and wants. So, I am running in order to empower people to use their voice so we can make real change in our community. Brooklyn is very diverse with many cultures and different languages that are spoken and I want to make sure everyone feels seen and heard which is something that doesn’t often happen with current elected officials.

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

Housing is the main issue in Brooklyn. Rents are too darn high for renters and tax lien sales need to stop for homeowners. As someone who experienced homelessness in the past, I understand first-hand the struggle to serve our vulnerable neighbors. This is why I spent 10 years as a Board Trustee at the Sierra House, an organization that assist homeless mothers and their children where I am the current President, and assists other charities focused on the homeless when I can. I would like to make sure housing insecurities are properly addressed and we work on getting “real” affordable housing in Brooklyn. It’s great that intro 146 passed and they’ve raised the amount on the housing vouchers but we can do better. This starts by getting them to reevaluate the AMI (Area Median Income) so that it just includes the five boroughs which will make qualifying for affordable housing more reasonable and I will work on getting the Faircloth amendment repealed so that the city can build more housing stock instead of private developers who build housing that really isn’t affordable even when they set aside units for this very purpose.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The difference between the other candidates and myself is simple. I am not a career politician like most of the candidates in the race so I would not be beholden to anyone. That also means I am not running for this office because I’ve term-limited out of my current office and need to seek another position, basically playing musical chairs with our elected offices. I am just an everyday resident who decided to enter the race so that I can be the change that I want to see.

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

I think in the beginning there was so much confusion and miscommunication because nothing like this had happened in our lifetime. They took a little too long in making the decision to close everything down and the Mayor and the Governor were at each a little too much for me instead of working together like a team. Once things were locked down some of the local officials stepped up for their community with PPE supplies and food distribution which was great to see because that is what you are supposed to do when an emergency happens and the governor’s daily briefings helped to keep everyone properly informed. I just wish we had a different President in place because the entire country would have been more in sync and perhaps fewer people would have lost their lives.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Public Safety: Demilitarize the police. We need to put a stop to the 1033 program which allows local precincts to get surplus militarized equipment. Take away all of the gear that is meant to support our military. The citizens of our state are not enemy combatants and should not be treated that way. The money saved by demilitarizing the police can be used in other much needed community programs.

Small Business/Entrepreneurship: Small businesses are the back bone to the city and there should be more support to ensure their success and survival especially since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of them to close down. There should be more programs and financial opportunities encouraging entrepreneurship and encourage more interaction with our silicon alley.

Education Equality and School Parity: Every single public school should have equal access to the same public-school funding and education whether the school is on Park Avenue or Flatbush Avenue. I would like to start a 2-year apprenticeship program for young adults graduating high school who plan to forego college. They can learn while they earn and once they complete their apprenticeship they will have both the skills and experience to be hired or start their own company.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My experience working within the United Nations system prepared me for working in a multicultural environment, my experience serving on the Board of Directors of the Sierra House helped me with my leadership skills, my experience working with non-profits showed me the importance in connecting with stakeholders, and my experience serving on Community Board 17 helped me get a better understanding on serving the community. My vision is to use this platform together with the people of our community to get the services and economic support that Brooklyn needs in order to not just bounce back after this pandemic but to thrive.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Never give up!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Just note that I plan to be the biggest cheerleader Brooklyn has had since Marty Markowitz and I will use the bully pulpit to champion everything from housing to jobs and will ensure all our community members in Brooklyn gets the resources it needs to be a better more inclusive Borough. As my motto says- No PAC Money, No B.S., All Brooklyn, All Heart.

Read More:

• Brooklyn Borough President Race: Where Things Stand