The ten leading candidates to become the city’s next Public Advocate spent much of their two-hour debate Wednesday blasting the mayor’s support of the controversial deal to bring online giant Amazon to the Queens waterfront.
“It was a backroom deal, it was undemocratic,” former Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said.
“It was entirely backwards,” added Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell.
“This plan needs to be squashed,” said Councilman Jumaane Williams.
The Public Advocate’s position has no actual power to block the controversial $3 billion deal that city and state officials negotiated with Amazon to locate its new campus in Long Island City, potentially bringing 25,000 new jobs to the city.
In exchange, Amazon will receive $2.5 billion in tax credits – from programs open to any company under state law – and $500 million in state construction subsidies.
Amazon’s planned campus would also be exempted from the city’s usual zoning process, a decision that has angered opponents.
While 10 candidates met the Campaign Finance Board’s criteria to appear at the debate, there are 17 people on the ballot for the position.
The Board of Elections says it will spend at least $15 million holding the February 26 special election to fill the spot, which manages an office with just a $3.5 million budget.