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But the borough holds only three out of 51 seats on the city council.<\/p>\n
One of those representatives, who would consider leaving New York, is Frank Morano who said “Staten Islanders would appreciate some recognition from the rest of the city” and called for a feasibility study into all options.<\/p>\n
“We could see how Staten Island would do financially, remaining part of New York City — or some sort of a hybrid approach, where maybe we have greater autonomy,” he said.<\/p>\n
In front of the island’s mega mall, Mark Ortego braved the biting cold to hustle to his car in the sprawling parking lot and said he feels positively about independence.<\/p>\n
“I like the idea,” said the air conditioning engineer, 23.<\/p>\n
“We’re just isolated…Everybody excludes us. So might as well be, like, alone.”<\/p>\n
But\u00a0Adriana Velazquez, a 44-year-old health care professional, who was shopping with her daughter, said “I don’t think Staten Island can manage it.”<\/p>\n
“You lose your police, you lose your trash, you lose your fire departments, because those are all New York state, New York City,” she said, referring to the outside entities that fund local services.<\/p>\n
The newly installed mayor Mamdani told Islanders they were a “critical part of New York City” and experts suggest the debate could drag on.<\/p>\n
“I understand why there are Staten Islanders who would feel that that history is one that hasn’t been recognized because what we’ve seen time and time again through multiple administrations is that this borough becomes a footnote as opposed to a focus,” Mamdani said.<\/p>\n
“And what I hope to show through my administration is that we are going to take seriously the concerns of Staten Islanders and deliver on those concerns.”<\/p>\n
Velazquez echoed some of the worry for Staten Islanders: “It most of the time felt like a forgotten borough.”<\/p>\n
But Morano, the councilman, is adamant that “this is not just a place that should be known for landfills and mobsters.”<\/p>\n
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