BP LEE ON QUEENS COMMUNITY BOARD APPOINTMENTS FOR 2020
(March 30, 2020 at 3:52pm)
QUEENS, NY – Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee today announced that the term for 2020 Queens Community Board appointees will now begin on May 31, 2020, instead of April 1, and last through March 31, 2022.
Current Community Board members whose terms expire on March 31, 2020 will continue serving for an additional 60 days, pursuant to Chapter 70, Section 2800(a) of the New York City Charter, “Members shall serve until their successors are appointed but no member may serve more than 60 days after the expiration of his or her original term unless reappointed by the borough president…”
“Following a robust and extended application period, and in continuous consultation with the borough’s City Councilmembers in accordance with the usual community board application procedure, I will issue the 2020 appointments to the borough’s 14 Community Boards in the coming weeks,” said Borough President LEE. “I thank those Community Board members for serving for at least an additional 60 days on their respective community boards, in light of the extraordinary circumstances. I also thank all 14 Community Boards for remaining operational and continuing to serve constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic. At times of crisis and great uncertainty, any semblance of short-term predictability, continuity and steadiness is invaluable.”
On February 4, 2020, Borough President Lee announced a six-week extension to the original January 31, 2020 application deadline, citing the desire “to ensure that the pool of applicants is as robust as possible.” As of the March 13 deadline, the Queens Borough President’s Office had received 501 applications, including 246 applications from those who had never previously served on a Queens community board, and 255 from those with prior experience and/or who were re-applying at the conclusion of their 2020 term.
There are 59 Community Boards citywide, including 14 in Queens, and each hold monthly full membership meetings. The Boards also hold hearings and issue recommendations about the City budget, municipal service delivery and numerous other matters that impact their communities.
All Queens Community Board members are appointed by the Queens Borough President, pursuant to the City Charter, with half of the appointments recommended by the City Councilmembers representing their respective Community Districts. Each Board has up to 50 unsalaried members, with each member serving a two-year term. All Community Board members who wish to continue serving on a Board are required to re-apply at the conclusion of their two-year term and are subject to review and reconsideration.
Follow the Office of the Queens Borough President via @QueensBP2020 on Twitter and Facebook