UES Councilmember Makes History As First Jewish Speaker

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — With a unanimous vote from all 51 members of the City Council, Upper East Side Councilmember Julie Menin was elected as City Council Speaker on Wednesday.

Menin, a Democratic Councilmember from Yorkville, has worked for more than two decades as an attorney and civic leader in both the public and private sectors. Now, she's making history as the first Jewish Speaker of the City Council.

"Together, we will forge a new City Council that takes a more forceful and proactive approach to New York’s shared goals," Menin said.

"That includes enacting universal child care, lowering skyrocketing health care costs, building more affordable housing, and slashing fines and bureaucratic red tape for small businesses."

Since joining the City Council in 2022 to represent Lenox Hill, Roosevelt Island, Carnegie Hill, and Yorkville in District 5, she has passed more than 25 resolutions and bills, including legislation expanding universal child care, increasing transparency around health care costs, strengthening worker protections and easing burdens on small businesses.

For the uninitiated, the City Council's Speaker is the leader of the legislative body and is elected by the other 50 councilmembers.

For the next four years, Menin will run meetings, influence legislative agendas and budgets, appoint committees and act as a key negotiator between the council and the Mayor's office.

"As the first Jewish Speaker, I want my vision of leadership to be as focused on dissolving division as it is on uniting all coalitions, but most of all, I want to be a Speaker for every single member of this City Council," Menin said in her acceptance speech.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.

Related:

• 5 Questions With Upper East Side Councilmember Candidate Julie Menin
• Election Q&A: Meet Upper East Side Candidate Julie Menin