Helen Rosenthal
Helen K. Rosenthal | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 6th district | |
| In office January 1, 2014 – January 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Gale Brewer |
| Succeeded by | Gale Brewer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Helen K. Rosenthal October 24, 1960 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University (BA) Yale University (MPH) |
| Website | Official website |
Helen K. Rosenthal (born October 24, 1960) is an American politician who served as a member of the New York City Council for the 6th district from 2014 through 2021. The district included the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Early life and education
[edit]Rosenthal was born in Detroit, Michigan, and received a B.A. in socio-economic policy and political theory from Michigan State University in 1982. She earned a Masters in Public Health "with distinction" from Yale University in 1987.[1]
Career
[edit]From 1988 to 1995, Rosenthal served as an Assistant Director of the New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget, where she managed the city's healthcare budgets under Mayors Ed Koch, David Dinkins, and Rudy Giuliani.[2]
Rosenthal was a longtime member of Community Board 7, having served as Strategy and Budget Committee Chair, Vice Chair, and eventually board chair from 2007 to 2009. During this time, she advocated for additional public school seats on the Upper West Side, using data collection to dispute the city's assertion that the district had 1,500 empty school seats. This resulted in the creation of P.S. 452 in 2010.[3]
New York City Council
[edit]In March 2012, Rosenthal announced her candidacy for District 6 of the New York City Council, whose incumbent, Gale Brewer, was term-limited out of office.[4] Rosenthal focused her campaign on issues including public school education, affordable housing, budget expertise, and mass transit improvements. Her bid was endorsed by organizations including the Sierra Club, the National Organization for Women-NYC, and TenantsPAC, a group which advocates for rent-regulated tenants. Other supporters included Gloria Steinem, Michael Moore, former City Councilwoman Ronnie Eldridge, State Senator Liz Krueger, and State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick.[4][5]
In September 2013, Rosenthal won the Democratic nomination for the District 6 City Council seat, defeating six other candidates.[6] She went on to win the November general election with 78% of the vote, and her vote total was the highest of any candidate running for City Council throughout New York City.[7]
Pedestrian safety emerged as a key issue for Rosenthal when three pedestrians were struck and killed on the Upper West Side over a ten-day period in January 2014.[8] She also advocates for better transportation services meeting the needs of all New Yorkers.[9]
As Chair of the Committee on Contracts she and then Public Advocate Leticia James were alerted to a NYC DOE $1.1 billion computer contract which had been approved by the Panel for Education Policy. Their call for an Oversight Hearing resulted in cancellation of the contract and a rebid. The final cost of the contract was $637 million. [10]
In 2017, Rosenthal won the Democratic primary to become the Democratic nominee. Rosenthal's support of a controversial school desegregation plan in her district was cited in endorsements received from The New York Times, the New York Daily News, and the Amsterdam News.[11][12][13]
Rosenthal was ranked top lawmaker on New York City Council in City and State 2019.[14]
At the end of her term in 2021, and with advocacy from PowHer and Legal Momentum, Rosenthal sponsored and passed 2022/32 which requires salary range transparency for all NYC jobs. PowHer's post NYC Salary Transparency Law Hailed as Transformative Step Toward Wage Equity, included a quote from Rosenthal, “Our new law shines a light on pay inequity…. Its goal is to level the playing field and restore dignity to those seeking employment…. A brighter light would include full compensation – in addition to salary – and a look-back window for employees to see the salary range for all employees with the same title.”[citation needed] According to the New York City Council 2025 Report, New York City Strives for Pay Equity: The Salary Transparency Law, salary transparency rose by 138% within a year of enactment.
References
[edit]- ^ "Helen Rosenthal – New York City Council Candidate on the Upper West Side, 6th District". linkedin.com. LinkedIn Corporation. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ Chen, Daphne. "Three vying for UWS City Council seat". columbiaspectator. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "About Face for DOE: District 3 Needs New School". nypress.com. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ a b Albrecht, Leslie. "Filmmaker Michael Moore Adds Star Power to City Council Race". dnainfo.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "NOW-NYC Endorses Helen Rosenthal, Candidate For NY City Council". helenrosenthal.com (Press release). Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification, Primary Election 2013 - 09/10/2013, New York County - Democratic Party, Democratic Member of the City Council, 6th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections.
- ^ "New York City Council - 2013 Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ Sanders, Anna (January 19, 2014). "Pedestrian dies in accident less than a block from Upper West Side home". Metro. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ Gioino, Catherina; McShane, Larry (August 3, 2017). "Pols hop aboard city subways to hear commuter complaints right from the source ". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ Gonzalez, Juan (19 March 2015). "https://www.nydailynews.com/2015/03/19/department-of-education-does-an-about-face-cancels-firms-637m-contract-to-provide-computer-services-to-public-schools/". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Opinion - Democratic Primary Choices". The New York Times. September 12, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ Editorials (September 3, 2017). "The Daily News' City Council picks: Manhattan - NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "New York Amsterdam News Endorsements Part One". August 31, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ i_beebe (January 26, 2020). "The Best & Worst New York City Lawmakers". CSNY. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
