Many City Council members are wary of endorsing candidates in the 2013 mayoral race until after budget season because they’re afraid a vengeful Speaker Christine Quinn will cut their share of $50 million in discretionary funds, DNAinfo.com New York has learned.
The funds, which are controlled by the speaker, are dished out to members each summer to fund constituent-pleasing services, such as community centers and seniors programs. While Quinn�s office has long insisted that the money is allocated based on districts’ needs, it�s no secret that members on Quinn�s good side tend to profit � while those who cross her get their budgets slashed.
And many Council members now worry that endorsing a rival in the mayor’s race, where Quinn is widely perceived as the front-runner, will result in the same fate.
�I definitely think that discretionary funds will be wielded as a weapon in the fight for endorsements,� said one Democratic Council member, who, like nearly a dozen others who spoke to DNAinfo.com New York, asked for anonymity to avoid angering Quinn.
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