May 13, 2021

Reshma Patel (D)

As Comptroller, what are your top 3 policy initiatives related to increasing jobs in NYC?

My top three policy initiatives for job creation would be 1) accelerate NYC's ten-year capital program to fund critical infrastructure needs and create high-paying middle-class jobs 2) provide capital for small businesses especially those in communities hardest hit by the pandemic 3) invest in start-ups that are creating jobs of the future, a circular economy and a good jobs ecosystem.

What will you do to enforce and expand prevailing wage and benefit rates for companies doing business with NYC?

As NYC Comptroller, I will uphold local market wages, support high-quality jobs, and enforce and expand prevailing wage laws. I will make sure prevailing wage requirements flow down to subcontractors and cover workers in the service industry the same way we cover workers in the construction industry. Additionally, prevailing wage laws should cover spending across all government agencies and financing mechanisms, including direct contracts, grants, loans, tax incentives, and any other type of public support. The recipients of NYC contracts must provide workers with high wages and fringe benefits that allow people to live a good, healthy life. I would ensure that government spending does not drive down labor market standards, require that employers provide decent benefits, increase access to jobs through apprenticeship programs, and strengthen mechanisms for enforcement of prevailing wage laws.

How will you use the power of the Comptroller to decrease discrimination and increase diversity throughout workplaces NYC?

As NYC Comptroller, I will be committed to creating a more equitable New York City. While diversity and inclusion initiatives are important, to truly move the needle on equity we need to give access to capital to those who have been historically excluded. I will do this by increasing the dollar amount of MWBE contracts and making sure MWBE firms have greater access to prime contracts and create transparency in the contracting process so that it is easier for MWBE's to navigate the process. I will increase the percentage of pension fund assets managed by emerging managers and include more MWBE firms in NYC's senior management pool for bond financings. I will require that all City agencies and businesses NYC contracts with have a no-tolerance policy on discrimination, have recruiting practices that follow the "Rooney rule", and have a diverse workforce. Additionally, all companies NYC invests in should have a commitment to diversity in their workforce and have women and minorities on their boards. Lastly, I would look at best practices from the public and private sector in diversity and including and apply them to the programs NYC is undertaking.

How will you support new businesses and encourage existing employers to stay in NYC to provide living wage jobs for NYC residents?

I would invest in new businesses that will create jobs in NYC by making low-cost capital available to them. I would create a program for subsidized office space to encourage existing and new businesses to be based in NYC and pay living wages to NYC residents.

How will you encourage retraining and developing a workforce to meet the demands for skilled workers?

I will advocate for a dedicated funding stream for job retraining and workforce development programs. I will also include in such programs assistance for childcare and transportation which can often hinder participation in such programs. I would listen to workers and HR managers to learn how NYC can serve their needs better. I would track workers in training programs to see success rates so that we are constantly measuring the impact of job training programs and constantly improving them.

Education: BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Background:

Financial Advisor to NYC Comptroller's Office
Serves on Manhattan’s Community Board 6, as the vice-chair of the Budget and Government Affairs Committee.
President of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club in Midtown East.
Former board-co Chair of Chhaya Community Development Corporation, which serves immigrant communities in Queens disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Member of the board of Dance/NYC, which provided COVID-19 relief to artists who were mostly overlooked by assistance programs.
Volunteer for the League of Women Voters NYC.
Teaches financial literacy as a volunteer for the High Water Women Foundation.
President of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club

Work Related Proposals (gleaned from Candidate website):

Protect retirees’ pensions and create greater equity by pushing for more representation of women and people of color on the boards of the companies in which the City's pensions invest.
Request that the companies in which the City's retiree pension funds are invested provide a sustainability plan.
Increase the City’s commitment to contracting services to MWBEs and set guidelines to ensure that aid that distributed reaches these businesses in an equitable way.
Work with disability advocates and experts to increase infrastructure (i.e., schools, transit system) accessibility and ensure that the desperately needed re-investment in infrastructure is inclusive.
Focus funding on after school care and development programs to help working parents by providing enrichment opportunities for children.

To learn more about Reshma Patel's campaign: https://www.reshma2021.com/