NYC Council Elections 2021: Sara Lind Seeks UWS Seat

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Voters in New York City's 6th Council district, which includes almost the entirety of the Upper West Side, will see six names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those names will be Sara Lind, an attorney and Community Board 7 member, who is among the Democrats seeking to replace the term-limited incumbent Helen Rosenthal.

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

Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Sara Lind

Age (as of Election Day)

38

Position Sought

City Council

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Neighborhood of residence

Upper West Side, Manhattan

Family

I live with my husband, my two children ages 7 and 10, and my mother-in-law. I’m part of the sandwich generation, taking care of young children and an older parent at the same time. My mother-in-law moved in with us when she could no longer afford her rent, and could not find a more affordable place to live. This is a microcosm of what is happening to seniors across the city and of caretaking across the nation. We do not have policies in place that address the realities we’re currently facing, and that needs to change.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
JD, University of Chicago,
MA, Columbia SIPA

Occupation

I’m an attorney, a community board member, a member of the School Leadership Team at PS 166, a mother of two young children and a full-time candidate. Most recently, I was the Executive Director of 21 in 21, an organization dedicated to achieving equality in City Hall this election cycle.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I am an elected member of the School Leadership Team at PS 166 and County Committee, and an appointed member of the Citywide Participatory Budgeting Committee and Community Board 7.

Campaign website

saralind.nyc

Why are you seeking elective office?

COVID forced a citywide reckoning. Coming out of this pandemic, our issues aren’t new, they’re just worse - from homelessness and empty storefronts to skyrocketing housing costs, an education system that fails too many kids, and a climate crisis this city is completely unprepared for. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We need leaders with the conviction to act on building affordable housing; lifting outdated restrictions that are stunting our small businesses; and investing in a green new deal for New York City that creates good paying jobs, protects us from the next extreme weather disaster, and gives the next generation a fighting chance. A brighter future is completely within reach. I believe we can seize this opportunity to make New York a truly 21st Century City.

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

Affordable Housing. I’ve released a housing-first plan for the Upper West Side that includes rezoning specific areas in the south west part of the district for affordable housing that are currently zoned for commercial/luxury buildings. You can read my full plan on my website at saralind.nyc.

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

I have the most detailed plans of any candidate in this race that show exactly what I would do as your City Council representative.

Further, I have experience working on the ground in the community. This experience is what led me to run for office.

As a member of Community Board 7, I put forth motions to prioritize NYCHA in our budget, and pass stronger solutions to prevent hate crimes.

As Chair of the Broadway Task Force, I helped build out a vision for Broadway north of 72nd street to fill our storefronts, open streets, and expand greenery for the neighborhood to enjoy. I have also proposed rezoning Broadway to expand the possibilities for businesses, with an emphasis on arts & Culture and Startups.

As an elected member of PS 166, I pushed for school safety measures when the City could not decide whether schools would open. I am the only mother in this race who currently has a child in public school. I have a close perspective on how education is impacting New York City’s children that my fellow candidates don’t have.

I’ve also been an active supporter of electing more women to office to achieve true equality. I served as the Manhattan Borough Director for Amplify Her and most recently, served as the Executive Director of 21 in 21 with the goal of getting 21 women elected to City Hall this election Cycle.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

While I’m running for an open seat, most candidates in this race are still considered challengers given a past officeholder is re-running for her formerly held city council seat for which she served three terms and was term-limited. As I referenced above, our issues pre-dated the pandemic. Empty storefronts and affordable housing have been issues for decades. We need leaders with the conviction to act on the realities we’re facing - from homelessness and climate, to education and mental health. I believe it will take new leadership to move forward.

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

I think most officials did what they could considering there was zero direction from the federal government and very little transparency from the state. Unfortunately, many of our healthcare systems were already failing low-income communities and communities of color, which exacerbated the lack of preparedness. I support a moratorium on all hospital closures and minimum staffing levels for the safety of staff and patients. All that said, I would have focused more on schools and childcare much earlier. Our children have essentially lost a year of education which had a domino effect on parents and jobs due to lack of childcare.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I’m running on a campaign platform to make sure New York is a truly 21st Century city. The key issues I’m focused on are building a sustainable and resilient city starting with low-income areas that have been hit hardest; ending homelessness by prioritizing permanent housing over the broken shelter system and building more affordable units, a public safety plan where everyone feels safe, protected, and respected, and baseline funding for public school education that includes an updated curriculum, proper staffing, and the resources needed to teach children. A school’s success should not be tied to how much money the PTA is able to raise.

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

As a member of the Youth, Education and Libraries Committee of CB7, I supported CEC3’s Middle School Integration plan. This was a controversial effort given our school district is the most segregated in the nation. But, I’m proud we were able to put integration into place, that we’ve seen positive results, and have set a precedent moving forward.

As a member of Community Board Seven, I helped pass the resolution to get a Protected bike lane on CPW, the resolution against hate crimes, and prioritized NYCHA funding in our Budget Priorities. Again, these were proposals that not everybody embraced, but in the end, we were able to come together to a consensus.

I served as Executive Director of 21 in ‘21, a nonprofit dedicated to electing at least 21 women to New York’s City Council. In that role, I led training on Reproductive Justice, Food Policy and how to run campaigns and I helped hundreds of women prepare to run for office.
As an attorney, I worked at Skadden Arps, a major international law firm, where I worked on billion dollar deals and represented large companies. I also represented asylum seekers coming to America to seek a better life.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Nothing worth doing is ever easy

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

We have an opportunity at this moment to make a change from the bottom up. The sweeping change we need starts here, with our City Council. Down-ballot races matter, the people who've been in office for decades have gotten us to this point. Now, it is up to us to make sure NYC is built for the modern-day problems we face today. My vision for the Upper West Side is to lead the charge in making NYC a truly 21st-century city.