Uptown Councilman Eyes Top Job At Taxi Commission, Report Says

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS-INWOOD, NY — Upper Manhattan's representative in the City Council may have eyes on another influential job in city government as the head of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, according to reports.

City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez's name has been floated to fill the vacancy at the top of the TLC and the lawmaker is reportedly considering the post, the New York Daily News first reported. Rodriguez currently chairs the City Council's transportation committee and will be term limited in 2021.

The uptown lawmaker was coy with the Daily News, telling them that he has been "approached" by "stakeholders" in the taxi industry but that he's also content with his current seat on the council.

"At this moment I’m very happy where I’m at, chairing the transportation committee. I will have any conversation with anyone who has any ideas or any opinions on the challenges we have in front of us when it comes to reorganizing the TLC," Rodriguez told the Daily News.

The top job at the TLC has been vacant since former commissioner Meera Joshi stepped down in January. Mayor de Blasio's initial pick for the job, Jeff Roth, was pulled from contention after a rough confirmation hearing in July where he refused to answer questions regarding the financial crisis facing yellow cab drivers.

Rodriguez has previously criticized the Taxi and Limousine Commission for turning a "blind eye" to the crisis faced by taxi medallion holders, who have seen the value of the once-prized commodity plummet since the rise of ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft in New York City. The lawmaker has also proposed an exemption from the city's planned congestion pricing plan for taxi drivers.

Read the full New York Daily News article here.