By Gus Saltonstall

Jack Kellner spent his professional career in the medical field, but after attending multiple Democratic Club candidate forums for the 69th Assembly District as a member of the audience, he decided he also wanted to enter the race.

Kellner is one of five Democratic candidates running to represent the 69th Assembly District, which stretches from West 80th to 125th streets, and includes large sections of Riverside Park and Central Park. The race comes after longtime incumbent Daniel O’Donnell announced in November that he would not be seeking reelection.

Previously, Kellner worked for the New York City Department of Health as the supervising physician for school health. He was responsible for overseeing health services for students in three public school districts across the city.

Election Day for the primary is on June 25, with early voting starting in the 10 days prior.

Members of the Assembly create legislation on the state level, which includes elements that affect daily life, such as good cause eviction, bail reform, and, in general, helping to craft the budget for New York state each year.

West Side Rag continues its coverage of the upcoming election in the following conversation with Kellner. It has been condensed and edited for clarity.

We also spoke and published interviews last week with candidates Eli Northrup, Micah Lasher, and Melissa Rosenberg. Additionally, the Rag will soon publish an interview with Carmen Quinones, the fifth candidate for the 69th Assembly District seat.

We asked all the candidates versions of the same questions, in hopes of giving prospective voters a heightened understanding of where the different candidates stand on important local issues.

The Interview

West Side Rag: What would be your first piece of legislation in office?

Kellner: A bill to address the mental healthcare crisis we are experiencing in our city. I want to amend certain sections of Title 9 of the mental health law. This is in order to get people into care who are too ill to recognize they need help. We have a lot of people out there on the streets suffering with mental illness, and they need care.

The last 20 years have not been helpful, just dumping people out of institutions without proper follow up and without proper support. Also, part of that bill will be to train more mental health providers in the state of New York.

West Side Rag: Any committee you’d be most interested in joining?

Kellner: Mental hygiene committee. Health committee. And the arts committee. Danny O’Donnell was the chair of the arts committee. We have a lot of performing artists who live in the district. We are close to Lincoln Center and the Broadway theaters. I could make some contributions there as a former, retired semi-professional dancer.

West Side Rag: You mention O’Donnell, any specific ways you’d look to build on his legacy?

Kellner: Our district has been blessed by many terrific Assemblymembers: Danny, Ed Sullivan, and Marie Runyon. I want to follow in their footsteps and do well for the folks here. I believe that my medical background, in comparison with Danny’s legal background, would be a good change to bring to the Assembly chamber in regard to perspective on issues and legislation. I would also work to improve constituent services.

West Side Rag: Zoning laws in Morningside Heights haven’t changed since the 1960s. It is one of the few areas in Manhattan where there are no requirements to build affordable housing. In recent years, there has been a community push on the city-side of the legislature to rezone the neighborhood. Do you have a stance on whether the neighborhood should be rezoned?

Kellner: We are in a really bad housing crisis right now in New York City. I definitely understand the community’s concern about the lack of affordable housing in Morningside Heights, but also the need for thoughtful development that includes community input. Current zoning laws are outdated and they don’t reflect the needs of our diverse community. So, I would be in favor of a rezoning.

West Side Rag: Does Columbia University have on obligation to build housing for non-affiliated residents?

Kellner: They most certainly do. Less than 5 percent of housing owned by Columbia is allocated to community members, and it should be over 10 percent. Columbia gets a lot from this community, they take a lot of resources, and it is a small thing to ask them to provide 10 percent of their staff and professor housing to community members, especially those that are lower or middle income.

Like other businesses, which Columbia is, they should contribute to improvements in the neighborhood, such as the 116th Street subway station.

West Side Rag: Continuing on the housing front, do you think the version of Good Cause Eviction that passed in this year’s budget went far enough in protecting tenant’s rights?

Kellner: Maybe. We’re not going to know until the law goes before the judges in housing court and we see how the judges interpret the law and how they apply it. It is a step in the right direction, but it most likely does not go far enough. We need strong measures to protect tenants from unjust eviction and excessive rent increases. At my district office, I will have a full time housing expert available for consultation.

West Side Rag: There seems to be a connection between the proliferation of illegal smoke shops and the state’s struggle to roll out legal cannabis sales. How can the Assembly play a part in helping?

Kellner: We need to count on the city now to do their newly granted  jobs in shutting down the illegal smoke shops. We need to speed up the rollout of legal marijuana vendors. We certainly don’t want this to turn into the process that we see with the state liquor license, which we know is an arduous procedure. Streamline the licensing process for cannabis businesses.

West Side Rag: Central Park and Riverside Park are major components of the 69th Assembly District. Both have strong conservancies. What do you see as government’s role in finding ways to support the parks?

Kellner: Definitely we want to support the conservancies. One of the great attractions of the West Side is the two parks are only a few blocks apart. If you compare that to the East Side, you don’t have a Riverside Park, you just have a little walkway by the water. We are blessed with having Riverside and Central Park. We have to make sure the city has the adequate funding and the parks department is doing their job. We also have pocket parks, near me on Amsterdam and 99th street there is a great playground, and we can’t ignore the pocket parks and the smaller green spaces in between the two big ones. They can provide a lot of good feelings for the residents.

West Side Rag: Crime statistics are up in New York City compared to the period before the pandemic, but there also remains a conversation about the perception of safety vs. the reality of the crime numbers. How do we make people feel safe in this neighborhood?

Kellner: Unfortunately, when it comes to crime, perception is reality. If people feel unsafe for whatever reason, it just grows and grows, and the cycle gets worse. I definitely feel less safe on the street, especially at night when it is dark, compared to before the pandemic.

Clearly there are a lot of people who need mental health treatment, who are not receiving it. People who have been deinstitutionalized without adequate support from social workers, nurses, from medication. We need to help them get the care they need.

West Side Rag: Continuing on the topic of safety, street safety has become a louder conversation since the pandemic. Electric bikes are a leading topic from constituents within that subject. What do you see as ways to improve the conditions around e-bikes in the district right now?

Kellner: Electric bikes, mopeds and scooters, when used for commercial purposes, should have some sort of license or identification, in case they do cause an accident or break traffic laws. That would create a way to reach out to those folks. I would also favor a 3-hour class of the rules of the road for people operating electric vehicles that may not be familiar with New York State traffic code.

West Side Rag: Stepping back, how would your experience as a doctor and in the medical field help you in the Assembly?

Kellner: There are no doctors in the Assembly. Same thing for the state Senate. My practical experience treating patients will be of great value and give me insight into legislation and solutions that people are just guessing at right now.

Because I was a doctor and worked in locked psychiatric units, taking care of the most ill patients, as well as serving as the supervisor for school health on the West Side of Manhattan, it allows me to have a very good feeling for what should be done medically that people who have never practiced won’t have.

I’ve lived here for 25 years. I entered the race late after I went to a couple of candidate’s nights at local Democratic clubs. When I heard the candidates I was underwhelmed, and I entered the race because I think having a doctor up in Albany would be an incredible asset to the district and to the legislature as a whole.

Let me add, I believe in term limits. I believe in accountability. If someone can just be reelected infinitely, there will be less accountability. So, I am voluntarily term limiting myself to eight years in this office for the 69th Assembly District. The same term as the City Council.

West Side Rag: Finally, any favorite places of yours you could tell us about within the district?

Kellner: I used to cross Central Park along the 96th Street transverse. The north and south are different from one another. When I think of a beautiful place in the district, I think of my memories crossing Central Park.

You can check out Kellner’s candidate website — HERE.

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