Dr. Vincent Evangelista (with microphone), chairman of the CB 9 District Manager Search Committee, detailed the ballot process for board members on Tuesday night. Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza.
Lisa Gomes on Tuesday night was selected to be the next district manager of Community Board 9.
Gomes, who has been serving as the acting district manager since Mary Ann Carey retired last October, bested former political aide James McClelland, 19 votes to 15, in a runoff at a special meeting of the board at Borough Hall.
In all, 34 out of a possible 46 ballots were cast.
The final vote marked the end of a tumultuous day at Borough Hall. After learning that the board would be proceeding with Tuesday night’s meeting and vote, even after she suggested in a letter to Board Chairman Ralph Gonzalez that the selection process be postponed to April 1, Borough President Melinda Katz issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon, saying she was “deeply” disappointed in the board’s actions.
Gonzalez polled board members by phone on Monday night to find out how a majority would like to proceed. Twenty-nine members voted in favor of moving ahead with the meeting as planned.
“It’s perplexing at best as to why Community Board 9 feels it is absolutely necessary to steamroll this important decision upon a board that may or may not be the same in 28 days,” Katz said. “Over six months have lapsed since the former district manager tendered her resignation. The length of time it has taken the board to move this forward demonstrates the ongoing governance issues which have been prevalent on Community Board 9. At this point, the prudent thing for the board to do in the interest of the community at large would have been to pause the process for merely a month until the new terms begin.”
In her letter to Gonzalez last week, Katz said that, in light of “potential issues with one of the candidates and the selection process…raised by the media in recent days,” she believed it to be “in the best interests of the board and the residents who will be served by the new district manager to postpone the selection until after April.”
Following a closed-door executive session to conduct interviews of the final three candidates, doors were opened to the press and public to observe the voting process. While the votes were being counted, Board Member Sam Esposito said, “We would like to reiterate to the press that the board supports this [District Manager] Search Committee.”
Dr. Vincent Evangelista, chairman of the Search Committee, added, “I believe we acted with wisdom, integrity and complete transparency.”
By Michael Cusenza
