GOP gets new minority NYC council leader but one pol threatens to sue
The Republican members of the Big Apple’s city council voted in a new minority leader Tuesday — as the other pol up for the gig threatened legal action.
David Carr was voted in with just the support of Brooklyn lawmaker Inna Vernikov and outgoing fellow Staten Island councilman Joe Borelli after the lawmakers said their fellow party members boycotted the meeting.
“I want to continue to work with them to fight for common sense, conservative principles and for the betterment of the neighborhoods and communities we each represent,” Carr said after the vote.
But Borelli’s impending departure has split the small caucus down the middle with Joann Ariola, Kristy Mamorato and Vickie Paladino refusing to attend the Tuesday afternoon meeting, claiming proper protocols were not followed.
“We were unable to attend because we were not given appropriate notice,” Ariola told The Post, accusing Borelli of tipping the scales for Carr.
“The whole protest thing is another lie out of Joe Borelli’s mouth so he can put in his agent, David Carr, as minority leader as he goes off to be a lobbyist,” she continued.
In a letter sent to party members, Ariola threatened to take legal action if the vote went through Tuesday morning.
But Borelli fired back at the Queens lawmaker, saying she lost fair and square.
“No one nominated her, no one voted for her,” he said, adding, “She chose to stay home instead. We don’t even have to have a meeting according to our bylaws.”
For his part, Carr said there would be no bad blood.
“We have had an incredibly powerful partnership in the Republican Conference, and I welcome them all with open arms,” he said.
Since Carr was the longest-tenured Republican up for the role — which comes with a fancy office in City Hall but without a pay bump. He would have beat out Ariola with the tie because of the tenure, accoridng to the bylaws provided to The Post.
Borelli, the longstanding Republican voice in the council and now-former minority leader, is set to leave office on Friday to take a DC lobbying gig. He was term-limited and slated to forgo his seat come 2026.