Angela Riley is the Democratic and Green Party candidate for Binghamton’s 3rd district seat on the Binghamton City Council. Since 2016, Riley has been assistant dean of Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She holds a pharmacy degree from Midwestern University.
In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue in your district and why?
“One of the most critical issues facing Binghamton is poverty and safe, affordable housing. As a member of the [Binghamton] City Council, I will work to ensure safe and affordable housing — not only by upholding code enforcement but also by expanding first-time homeownership through new city partnerships. I will build stronger community and law enforcement relations and develop beautification programs because every Binghamton family deserves a secure and welcoming place to call home. I believe ensuring access to healthy food, stable housing, safe living environments, a source of income and social support or social determinants of health is the key to addressing our issues because each directly impacts one’s overall health and well-being. I will also work with municipal agencies to provide increased support for small business development, [and aim to] offer programs to help job seekers gain access to advancement training, networking and other vocational support.”
How do you envision engaging with the community and addressing the concerns they may have? More specifically, what would you do to engage Binghamton University students in these community issues?
“We must talk to our constituents face to face, on the front porch. During this campaign, I have knocked doors and met with my neighbors, many of whom are students. I took this time to listen to what concerns our neighbors most, while also taking time to get to know each person as my neighbor. As a member of the City Council, I will use these same techniques to hear from my neighbors, as well as share information that needs their feedback. My continuous message to my neighbors, particularly students, is that Binghamton is your home. Because Binghamton is your home and the third district is your community, we must work together to ensure that our neighborhoods are safe, well maintained, and remain an environment where we can thrive together. You can assist in this effort by being continuously engaged in local initiatives.”
Do you have any plans to address the housing blight in your district, and the city as a whole? Please explain why or why not.
“As defined by Will Kenton of Investopedia, blight is the visible and physical decline of property, neighborhood or city due to a combination of economic downturns. The presence of blight has profound negative impacts on affected communities. Not only do blighted properties decrease surrounding property values, but they also destroy the health of local housing markets, pose safety hazards and reduce local tax revenue. To improve our communities and the quality of life for Binghamton residents, we must address blight. To do so, we must update laws that impede local efforts. We can create new initiatives, policies and commissions that will work with local agencies to continue to transform blighted and abandoned property into quality, affordable homes for our residents. There is a correlation between rates of homeownership and blight, and offering opportunities for ownership will eliminate or reduce the frequency of vacant or poorly maintained homes.”
If you could make changes to the building codes or code enforcement in the city, what would they be? If you would not make any changes, please explain why not.
“One of my major plans for this city, as a city councilperson, is to strengthen code enforcement to ensure the properties in the city are safe and well maintained. By enforcing New York state and local municipal codes, we not only ensure that the stability, fire safety, sanitation and safe wiring are supported, but we retain the integrity of the Binghamton neighborhoods. We can directly improve the quality of life within our city overall when the beauty of our areas is preserved. We can achieve this goal by working directly with landlords, tenants and the community to address absentee landlords and irresponsible tenants while developing policies to strengthen our code enforcement team.”
What changes, if any, would you make to public transportation in your district and why?
“Public transportation is a significant concern in the entire region. Access to transportation is a vital component of social determinants of health, as described previously because it directly impacts one’s ability to maintain employment, obtain housing, health care services and quality health care. We need to strengthen the infrastructure within our community, county and region to address these concerns. Similar to my goals stated previously, I will work with agencies working to heighten the visibility and awareness of their services to address these obstacles or limitations. For example, the Get There Call Center is available to assist with local transportation, but not likely known by those who need the service. This call center can provide residents with information on local transportation, including public transit, carpooling, volunteer transportation rides to work and more.”