Ben Kallos, Former NYC Council Member

Taking this last opportunity to thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime and send one final report on what we’ve been able to accomplish together over these past 8 years. Check out the summary, the list of 140 issues or the full 175-page report: benkallos.com/newsletter/fin…

@NYCgov is purchasing an Agusta Helicopter like the one pictured. (It's for @NYCDCAS not @NYPD) I'm curious what we need it for? No price, but Google AI pegs cost at $350K - $20 million. Check it out: a856-cityrecord.nyc.gov/RequestDetail/…

Heavy turnout at the polls this morning despite 380,000 early votes. After years fighting board of elections over long lines the longest line was for the privacy booths which is a strong sign that must voters are showing up to the polls undecided!

@Len_267 @DinnerWed Thank you @DinnerWed for joining me for my monthly open office hours. My office listened to residents concerned about ebikes and encouraged enforcement of the law benkallos.com/bikesafety Legislators in Albany actually used our enforcement as an example to legalize ebikes. 🤷‍♂️

@DinnerWed @BenKallos and not clues but informed and not fooled by people like Ben

Message from .@BenKallos the last REAL CM #UES>>> That’s why I am asking you to please rank Virginia Maloney and Faith Bondy as your top two choices and DO NOT RANK Rachel Storch. ***share share share**** .@Len_267

He said it seemed as though the commission’s focus on member deference was about compromising the power of the City Council. nytimes.com/2025/04/30/nyr…

His opposition to building a tower in his district to house the New York Blood Center’s headquarters is a rare example of member deference not being respected. In 2021, the Council approved the development, but it still has not been built. nytimes.com/2025/04/30/nyr…

“Going after member deference is undermining the community’s ability to have a vote in their future,” said Ben Kallos, a former council member who represented the Upper East Side from 2014 to 2021. nytimes.com/2025/04/30/nyr…

Last week I emailed about the @2025nyc_crc hearing on how to build more affordable housing. I showed up with proposals including a Vacancy Tax, renovation funds, time limits on rezonings, permanent housing for homeless to get 100,000+ units back. They ignored all of it!

@nicoleamurray @NYDailyNews It's real, the proposal was out there, 5 years ago in 2019, see for yourself. nydailynews.com/2019/03/21/why…

New York City desperately needs relief from congestion, but the current “congestion pricing” plan was never intended to do that... Op-Ed in today's @NYDailyNews nydailynews.com/2024/06/13/how…

@k_vanvoorhees @NYDailyNews I think for people earning $50,001/yr, $3,600 is still a lot of money. LIDP still required workers on welfare to pay full tolls for the first 10 tolls per month & offered no relief off peak. For people working full time at minimum wage for $30K/yr, $2,700 is still a lot.

@BenKallos @NYDailyNews Most "low income workers" do not bring their cars to midtown Manhattan everyday. They take mass transit. For the truly low income who must drive there's a 50% discount that brings the toll about par with taking mass transit. There's a disability exemption. It's a fair plan.

@kingsburywrites There wasn't much debate. It was an up or down vote. The fiat was Manhattan below 60th Street because of some political fiction that there was no congestion anywhere else in NYC. Would you agree that there is congestion outside Manhattan? How's this plan fix that?

Rather than continue to fight over a deeply flawed plan, let’s bring NJ & LI to the table. Start over and work together on improvements that will make public transit faster than taking the car, expand economic opportunity, reduce vehicles on the road, and save our planet.

Earthquake just hit NYC!

Thank you to @JulieMenin for her leadership in bringing this great partnership to fruition. westsidespirit.com/home/a-gym-for…

Sitting in the @SpenceSchool Field House as a public school parent. I'm so glad that we were able to open this space to neighborhood public schools as part of the approval process. It's rare to feel the results of our work in office so personally. ourtownny.com/news/local-new…

@NYDailyNews Hyperlinked submission available at benkallos.com/press-clip/new…

Celebrating my birthday as I continue to fight to get real estate money out of land use planning in today's @NYDailyNews: Let N.Y.ers choose what their city looks like nydailynews.com/2024/02/05/rea…

Thank you to former @NYCCouncil Education Chair @MarkTreyger718 and @JustinBrannan for their partnership and advocacy to pass this law as part of a larger legislative package to improve school buses.

Thank you @NYCMayor Eric Adams for getting this important law implemented in his first term. I wasn't a parent when the law was introduced but now that I'm a public school parent I can share how important this will be for so many!