Stetzer CB3 Manhattan opposes Intro 501

Thank you.

I'll go first.

My name is Susan Stetzer.

I'm district manager for Manhattan Community Board 3.

I'd just like to mention that we're actually city agencies, not the public.

I want to thank you for this opportunity to share concerns regarding proposed legislation and budget.

Because of the limited time, I will speak to Intro 501, which is the most shocking.

The Community Board 3 Executive Committee voted last Thursday to oppose legislation into 322 and 501.

This will be voted on tomorrow night and submitted to the committee as testimony.

And I'd like to say I actually agree with Councilmember Williams that our terms of employment should be clarified.

And I'd like to suggest that the council can go on our website under...

Resources and tests and standards and see very detailed lengthy responsibilities that the board voted on for the district manager.

It is on a managerial test and standards form provided by DCAS.

I'd also like to say that I will not personally be impacted by this, as I've been in the position for 22 years and expect to be retired well.

within the next four years.

City Charter provides each community board within budgetary appropriations shall appoint a district manager, as it deems appropriate, who shall serve at the pleasure of the community board.

There seems to be diverse opinions on whether this would require a charter revision commission to allow borough presidents to terminate a district manager, as this would diminish the power of a city agency.

There is no precedent in New York City government for an elected official to terminate a staff person at a different city agency outside of their direct line of authority.

The immediate and long-term impact of a four-year hire would be that district managers would leave community boards to find stable jobs.

The board's abilities to hire for this position would be materially impaired.

District manager value is in long-term institutional knowledge of the community and the board, especially important as boards transition to member term limits.

Community boards already have the usual human resource procedures to hire and fire district managers.

We're subject to, as I mentioned, to New York City managerial tasks and standards.

Boards can evaluate and, when necessary, terminate district managers.

And I would say I've been evaluated against the tasks and standards by several.

Chairs are from my board, and several chairs have done this several times.

So the process is absolutely in place.

It's the same process used by agencies for all mid-level managers and the same process used by elected officials for their staff.

I won't go into what we do because you've already mentioned that.

For borough presidents to have the power to remove district managers who are carrying out the wishes of their boards and the community at large

would put district managers in a bind between carrying out the directives of their board and those of borough presidents when the directives and positions differ.

I'm not aware of any reason to treat district managers different than any other city manager, and I'm not aware of any borough president seeking the ability to remove district managers.

And I didn't have time to talk about the budget, but I would just like to add that community boards have not had an increase to their

other than personal services in many years.

And with the technology and training needed these days, we are in dire need of budget increases.

Thank you very much.

Next.