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District 50 - Council Member / Minority Leader of the Council - Republican - Arrochar, Bloomfield, Bulls Head, Chelsea, Concord, Dongan Hills, Egbertville, Emerson Hill, Grant City, Grasmere, Lighthouse Hill, Manor Heights, Midland Beach, New Dorp, New Dorp Beach, New Springville, Oakwood, Old Town, Richmond Town, South Beach, Todt Hill, Travis, Westerleigh - Steven Matteo was elected to represent the Mid-Island-based 50th City Council District in November 2013, after a decade of public service. He was elected to Minority Leader of the Council in July 2015. Focusing on improving the quality of life and providing better government services for his constituents, Matteo has had many accomplishments early in his first term, including: passing legislation that provides lifesaving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to thousands of little league teams in the city free of charge; working with the Department of Sanitation to create the city’s first eWaste curbside collection program for Staten Island, which is slated to be made permanent and expanded citywide over the coming years; collaborating with his colleagues to secure an additional $241 million to repair the city’s crumbling roads; creating a West Shore Industrial Business Improvement District (BID)and New Dorp BID and several local merchant groups to help spur economic development in the borough; securing funding for a borough ‘Clean Team’ and spearheading efforts to remove litter and debris on Staten Island and across the city; advocating for changes to expedite post-Sandy recovery and resiliency projects, including working with Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, and then-Minority Leader Ignizio to secure more than $28 million to make Staten Island University Hospital safe from future storms; pressing the city to use technology and better design to ease congestion and increase safety on its roads, such as smart-lights, left-turn signals and widening streets and intersections, and to bring new techniques and technologies to get a longer lasting street repair including a wear-and-tear machine and rubberized asphalt. This year he passed legislation that will bring much-needed oversight and transparency to the Parks Department’s tree pruning, stump removal and sidewalk repair programs. He is also tireless advocate for transportation improvements for his borough – which has the fewest public transit options in the city and the longest commutes in the country – such as light rail and bus rapid transit. Minority Leader Matteo’s other legislative priorities include bills he has introduced to provide veterans with additional financial relief through the alternative property tax exemption; to greatly improve repairs to streets that have been cut open by utility companies; and to provide oversight of the Department of Buildings’ certification and approval of construction site safety experts. In the current budget, Minority Leader Matteo led the charge on a number of successful efforts – working with his City Council colleagues to allocate an unprecedented $13.5 million in capital funds to help Richmond University Medical Center build an emergency department that will meet the borough’s growing healthcare needs; boosting the Staten Island District Attorney’s Office budget by $3.6 million – nearly 38 percent – to help fight the borough’s drug addiction epidemic and surge in domestic violence; and the preservation or enhancement of important initiatives including CASA, NYCCleanup, and Immigrant Opportunity. The first bill Councilman Matteo authored, which mandated the use of mold-resistant materials in new home construction, was signed into law less than six months into his term. His first Council initiative, the Beating Hearts Initiative – which provides each Council district with AEDs and training free of charge – launched in the Fiscal Year 2016 and was extended through Fiscal Year 2017. He continues to push for laws and policies that will expand access to these lifesaving devices to all New Yorkers. A champion of small business, Minority Leader Matteo has been working to change the dynamic between government and local merchants, collaborating with those businesses and supporting their efforts to address community needs. He has shepherded the cause of the West Shore Industrial BID from its conception in 2011 to its formal creation as part of legislation he passed in October 2014. He did the same for the New Dorp BID, which became official when the Mayor signed legislation this year. He was also instrumental in the creation of four merchant associations – in New Dorp, Victory Boulevard, Richmond Road, and Midland Beach – which give businesses in his district a stronger voice and the ability to build upon the enormous economic potential in the Mid-Island. A recipient of the 2011 Twenty Under Forty Leadership Award, Councilman Matteo was also a member of the SI Growth Management Task Force’s subcommittee and played a key role in the City Council’s Task Force on Operations and Improvement of the Department of Buildings. A lifelong Staten Island resident and son of a NYPD officer, Matteo attended P.S. 30 in Westerleigh and Port Richmond High School, where he was recently named to the school’s hall of fame. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from St. Francis College and a Juris Doctorate from Touro Law School. He began his career in public service as a director of constituent services for former Mid-Island Councilman and Minority Leader James Oddo in 2004, and was promoted to chief of staff in 2006. He currently resides in Westerleigh with his wife Anne and their four children.
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