Upper East Side City Council member Michele Small who had been aligned with district partner Maria Pereira in the 138th District submitted her resignation on Tuesday to the City Clerk’s Office.
Unclear exactly what’s going on. Pereira has a history of break-ups with council candidates and members she has supported in her district, especially if they don’t vote her way. Several council members say Small just had enough of Pereira’s demands and inflammatory rhetoric. Small could not be reached for comment.
Last week, according several council members, a heated exchange took place between Pereira and East End councilor Ernie Newton over the boundary of the 138th and 139th Districts.
A new map of City Council districts was approved by the council Tuesday.
The map incorporates a carve-out of the new Harding High School that sits north of Boston Avenue at the request of Newton whose constituency has voted there and at the old location south of Boston Avenue for decades.
The modern Harding currently sits in the 138th District of Pereira who opposes the circuitous route in the map in favor of a clean boundary. Boston Avenue has served as a traditional boundary between the districts.
Pereira and Newton had crackling exchanges last week over the issue, according to council members. Pereira notified OIB she will challenge the new map in court.
Pereira added in an email: “I did not behave inappropriately at Thursday’s meeting in any way, shape or form. It was Ernest Newton, Jorge Cruz and former City Councilwoman Eneida Martinez who repeatedly unmuted herself to make snide and inappropriate remarks without Co-chairs Newton or Brown admonishing her or Cruz.”
Members of the Democratic Town Committee 138th District will make a recommendation to the City Council about a replacement. Possible candidates include former council members Nessah Smith and Samia Suliman, both of whom have split from Pereira.
This could be interesting. Maria tends to dig in on fights with the establishment. Even though, I see Ernie’s point about losing a high school voting place, considering it is just across the street and wanting to keep it in his district. The actual people that votes that were poached are minimum. How aggressive it got, how knows. well, they do, but we can assume. 🙂
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/the-specimen-war-urine-test-throw-down-pereira-versus-newton-whos-drug-clean/
I say give it to Anthony if he still lives in the district. Let them go at it again, ) Most like though, Nessah Smith, either way, they seem likely to team up against Maria, who has to find another new partner, which is not a positive in here next election.
Or Tony Barr. 🙂
If this was Joe and Mario’s plan, in an effort to get a pebble out of a shoe, well played. 🙂
Speaking of Playbooks, Partners, and Playing down the field. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UUWNHhOq20