Council Member Barry Grodenchik. (NYC City Council)
Oct. 14, 2020 By Christian Murray
Council Member Barry Grodenchik announced this morning that he will not seek re-election and will step down when his current term ends Dec. 31, 2021.
Grodenchik, who represents eastern Queens, is one of only four council members in Queens eligible to serve another term due to term limits.
His departure will mean that 12 of the 15 council seats in Queens are guaranteed to be represented by newcomers in 2022. Eleven council members in Queens will be forced to step down at the end of next year due to term limits.
Grodenchik, who is 60, said that his decision to not seek re-election was made after much deliberation.
“After much thought and reflection with family and friends, I have decided that it is time to put a period on this chapter of my life and retire from public service,” Grodenchik said in a statement posted to twitter. “Being a member of the council has been, and will continue to be, a hallmark of my public service career, which extends back more than a generation.”
Grodenchik, who has represented the 23rd Council District since he won a 2015 special election, has had a lengthy career in public service. He represented the Flushing area in the state assembly in 2003 and 2004, and was later the Queens Deputy Borough President from 2010 to 2013.
The council member was caught up in controversy last year when he was accused of having made unwanted advances and having inappropriate conversations with a female staffer. He later admitted wrong doing and resigned from his chairmanship of the City Council Parks Committee.
Grodenchik, in announcing his decision not to seek re-election, thanked the people of his district and reflected on his time in office.
“In the council, it has been my honor to be a foremost advocate for feeding New Yorkers and for enhancing funding for our parks,” he said. “Locally, I have advanced the cause of education, including the building of over 2,600 new school seats.”
Grodenchik is lifelong Queens resident who grew up in NYCHA’s Pomonok Houses in Flushing.
I have decided to retire from the @NYCCouncil at the end of my current term and therefore I will not be seeking reelection. Attached is my statement. pic.twitter.com/9VvBlQsFuU
— Barry Grodenchik (@BarryGrodenchik) October 14, 2020
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