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Council Member Sara M. Gonzalez was raised and educated in Sunset Park since she was a year old. She attended community public schools including PS-1, PS-314 and Fort Hamilton High School. Gonzalez is a graduate of Staten Island College, and attended Columbia Graduate School of Business Management. In November 2002, she was elected to the New York City Council in a special election to represent the 38th Council District. She was re-elected in November of 2003 and again in 2005.
In the Council, Gonzalez has been at the forefront of the fight for affordable housing. As a member of the Land Use Committee, affordability is her highest priority when casting a vote. She was active in her efforts to include her District in the 421-A debate, ensuring that no developer can take advantage of certain tax abatements for new construction without including affordable housing in their plans. Recently, Gonzalez introduced a bill that will ensure rent stabilization laws continue in the City, ensuring that tens of thousands of families will not be forced out of their homes.
As a Budget Negotiator in the Council, Gonzalez is fighting to ensure a fair share of city resources go to the 38th Council District. She has also been sure to provide vital funding to groups throughout the City. Most notably, Gonzalez has led the Adult Literacy Initiative over the past few years, securing millions of dollars in funding for free ESL, GED, and ABE classes for thousands of City residents.
Since bringing Juvenile Justice from a sub-committee to a full-committee, Councilwoman Gonzalez has been a leader in improving conditions and resources for some of the City’s most vulnerable young people. Rather than treat incarcerated youth as life long criminals, Gonzalez has placed an emphasis on treating them as young people who have deviated from their character. As a result of her efforts as Chair of the Committee, Gonzalez has secured millions of dollars for alternative to detention and progressive in-detention programs.
The Councilwoman has been a long-time advocate for improved educational resources in District 38. Gonzalez has been at the forefront of the fight to construct Sunset Park’s first high school, which will open in September 2009. She was also instrumental in bringing a new, 380-seat early childhood center to Sunset Park. Gonzalez secured over $500,000 for computer labs for schools throughout the District this past year, as well as providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for after-school, cultural, and educational programs for schools in District 38 over the years.
Among the hundreds of non-profit groups who provide services in District 38 to receive funding from Councilwoman Gonzalez, some examples from just this past year include: the Chinese Planning Council, Children of the City, Red Hook Initiative, The Center for Anti-Violence Education, Humane Education/HEART, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Red Hook Rise and over 40 more. Just this past year alone, she also secured $1.5 Million for the renovation of Sunset Park, over $1.7 Million for Lutheran Medical Center, and $750,000 for Red Hook Library.
Prior to her election to the Council, Gonzalez was a civic activist and community leader for over three decades. She served as the first Latina chairperson of Community Board 7 in Brooklyn and as the Executive Director of Hispanic Young People's Alternatives, a non-profit community-based organization serving youth and seniors throughout Southwest Brooklyn. While chairperson of Community Board 7, Gonzalez worked for environmental justice, waterfront development, and health care for all. She helped spearhead the movement for HIV/AIDS education and prevention and was Co-Founder of Discipleship's HIV Program in 1988. Gonzalez's experience, initiative and commitment to the community have contributed to the improvement of quality of life in the district.
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Entered City Council: 11/20/2002
Current Term Expires: 12/31/2013
Represents: Bay Ridge Towers, Borough Park, Brooklyn Waterfront, Park Slope, Red Hook, Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace
Committees: Juvenile Justice, Chair; Land Use (Planning, Dispositions & Concessions); Youth Services
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