BY COLIN MIXSON
Paul Hovitz, a one-time contender in the upcoming race to replace Catherine McVay Hughes as head of Community Board 1, announced his decision to drop out of the hotly anticipated contest this week, opting instead to run for vice chairman on a unity ticket with his former opponent, Anthony Notaro.
Both Hovitz and Notaro said that, after discussions with fellow board members, they made the decision mutually with the board’s best interests in mind.
One insider, however, suggested a slightly different thought process — Hovitz realized that serving as board chairman is the pits.
“The question isn’t why would Paul step down — it’s why would he run?” said CB1 member Tom Goodkind. “Just remember, there’s no pay, you’re always being criticized, the work’s never ending, and the board’s just advisory. It’s awful. Who would want that?”
Prior to Hovitz entering the race for chair, Notaro was running unopposed — just as Hughes had for two consecutive elections before deciding to step down, which she announced in April.
When Hovitz tossed his hat in the ring as well, he said that one of his main reasons was to give the board a semblance of choice regarding who would take the reigns.
But when explaining his decision to drop out of the race, Hovitz cited Notaro’s experience dealing with major issues facing the board — such as storm resiliency — which his erstwhile rival gained during his years serving as vice-chairman, which is considered by many on the board as a training ground for the top slot.
“Anthony has been the vice-chair, I think that the perception is such that he will go forward,” said Hovitz.
As chairman of CB1’s Battery Park City Committee, Notaro is an expert on issues affecting the board’s western territory, while Hovitz — who serves on the South Street Seaport Committee — is equally well versed with the board’s eastern affairs. Hovitz is also the co-chair of the CB1 Youth and Education Committee, so he is up to speed on the area’s ongoing battle for additional school seats.
Given that the chairman and vice-chair traditionally work very closely, the duo is expected to make an effective team, according board members polled by the Downtown Express.
But Goodkind said he still feels that yet another uncontested race for chairman — the third consecutive election with only one candidate — is a missed opportunity for the board to reexamine its priorities.
“With Paul no longer running, a non-contested election is great for Anthony, but it’s terrible for the board,” said Goodkind.
Goodkind said a contested race gives board members the opportunity to shape the new chair’s mandate, with members offering their support to the various candidates in exchange for pledges to pursue action on certain issues, which can serve to focus the board’s agenda.
“If anyone wants a voice on the board, and feels like things are inadequate, they go to each one of the candidates to ask if they’ll push this or that through, and now that’s gone,” said Goodkind.
That sort of back-room deal-making may sound more like what you would expect in Albany than at a local community board, but Goodkind said that anointing the next chairman without a contested race smacks of places with even worse politics.
“I feel like we’re in the third world country!” he said.
But while Notaro may be running unopposed for the top job, Hovitz will still have beat out Elizabeth Lewinsohn, current chairwoman of CB1’s Tribeca Committee, and Adam Malitz, the board’s secretary, who are also running for vice-chair.
