SpeakerMelissaMarkViveritoRemarksAsPreparedForDelivery Thankyou.Gracias. BeforeIbeginIwouldliketosayafewwordsinSpanish Hoyhemoshechohistoria.Estoyprofundamenteconmovidayemocionadaporelmomentoenque nosencontramos.Estavictorianosolomeperteneceamisinoatodoslospuertorriqueosylatinos enestaciudad. Iamveryhonoredandhumbledbythisday. Iwouldliketothankfriends,supportersandmembersofthepublicwhohavecometodayandthosewho arewatchingonlineoronTVtowitnessourdemocracyinaction. Ihavetoacknowledgesomeveryspecialgueststhatareherewithmetoday,mifamilia:mymother, ElizabethViveritoEscobarandmybrothers,RandyandAnthony. TheyhaveprovidedthefoundationandsupportthathavehelpedmetoarriveatthismomentandItruly thankthemforbeinghere.Iknowmyfather,whonevergotthechancetoseemeasanelectedofficial, wouldalsobeextremelyproudtoday.

Iwanttothankeachandeveryoneofmycolleaguestoday. WhetheryouarefromtheBronx,Brooklyn,Queens,StatenIslandorManhattanweallhavethepleasure ofservinginthegreatestcityintheworld. IwouldalsoliketothankmyfriendandcolleagueCouncilmemberGarodnick. Danwevebeencolleaguessincewewereswornintogetherin2006andIlookforwardtoworking withyouthesenextfouryears.YouareanimportantandstrongvoiceintheCouncilandweareluckyto haveyouintheseChambers. IamproudtosaythatCouncilmemberGarodnickandIconductedthemosttransparentSpeakersracein NewYorkCityhistory. Withcountlessforumsanddebatesopeninguptheprocesslikeneverbefore. Andwhileitwasdifficultattimesthatonlymakestodaysshowofunityevenbetter.

TomycolleaguesIpledgeyouthis:Ilookforwardtoworkinghandinhandwithyouinyourdistricts, communitiesandneighborhoods. YouallhaveafriendandallyintheSpeakersofficeandmydoorwillalwaysbeopen. WewillworktogetherbecausethatiswhatNewYorkersexpectanddeserve. ThiscouncilwillbeunifiedinourcommoncausedeliveringforNewYorkers. WeuniteforamoreequalandjustNewYorkwhereeveryone,nomatterwhatboroughyouarefrom, whatneighborhoodyouwereraisedinorwhoyourparentswere,hasequalopportunities. Wewillunitetocreatemoreaffordablehousing,improveoureducationalsystemandhelpthosewhohave fallenonhardtimes. Wewillunitetofighttoraisetheminimumwageforlowwageworkersatfastfoodrestaurants,car washesandairports.Forourundocumentedimmigrantswhoarefightingforapathwaytocitizenship. Wewillunitetokeepoureconomystrong,whetheryouworkonTheGrandConcourseintheBronx, NorthernBoulevardinQueens,FlatbushAveinBrooklyn,VictoryBoulevardonStatenIslandoronWall Street. WewilluniteforourbravefirstrespondersatNYPD,FDNY,EMSandSanitationOurteachers, nursesandeveryonewhohelpsmakethismagnificentCityrun. Andyes,wewillunitetoholdtheadministrationandMayoraccountable. ThisisourvisionforthisCityCouncil:Unity,independence,integrity,transparencyandaccountability. Asmostofyouknow,IcametoNuevaYorkattheageof18fromPuertoRicoandhavelivedhereever since. Ihavealwayslovedthiscity.ItstheplacewheremymotherandfatherwereborntheplacewhereI cametovisitmygrandfatherduringthesummertimetheplacewheremyabuelawhowaspartofthe earlyPuertoRicanmigrationofthe1920sand30sbecameactive. Inmanyways,whenIcametoNewYork,Iwasfollowinginthefootstepsofmymaternalgrandmother, whouprootedherselffromPuertoRicoalsoattheageof18tocometoNewYorkCityinsearchofa betterlifesomethingunheardofatthetime. HerdaughtermymomwhoproudlyhailsfromtheBronx,wentontobecomealeaderinPuerto

Ricosfeministmovement,startingoneofthefirstlawfirmsontheislandledbywomen. SowhenIcametoNewYork,itwasnosurprisethatIfoundmyhomeinactivism.Ihaveworkedfortwo decadesatthegrassroots,innonprofitorganizations,inlaborandasapublicservant. Todaymarkstheculminationofthoseyearsofservice. AsIstandhereasthefirstPuertoRicanSpeaker,thefirstLatinaSpeakerandthefirstSpeakertocome fromtheBlack,LatinoandAsianCaucus,IremembermytimeworkingwithyoungpeopleatASPIRAof NewYork,aLatinoyouthleadershipdevelopmentorganization. Wetaughttheseyoungpeopletoembracetheirheritageandtheiridentity,todreambigandtoworkhard. IhopethatasyoungLatinasandLatinosarewitnessingthismoment,theyareabletodreamthatmuch biggerandareinspiredtoworkthatmuchharder,becausewehavebrokenthroughonemorebarrier. Overthepastfewmonths,Ivelaidoutforallofyoumyvisionforaspeakershipthatisopen,inclusive andtransparent. Aleadershipstylethatallowsallvoicestobeatthetable,helpingtoshapethedirectionwetakeasa legislativebodyaleadershipstylethatputsthewillofthemembersandtheneedsoftheirconstituents beforetheambitionsofaspeaker. Manyhavestatedthatgivingadditionalpowertoindividualmemberswillunderminetheabilityofthe Counciltofunctioneffectively. ButIbelievethatempoweringeachmemberwillonlymeanthatallofuswilltakegreaterownershipover thisbodyandworkthatmuchhardertopreserveitspoweranditsintegrity. ThisisourvisionfortheNewNewYorkCityCouncil. Andonceagain,amajorgracias,toallofmycolleagues. IlookforwardtocontinuingtoworkwitheachandeveryoneofyoutoservethegreatpeopleoftheCity ofNewYork. Thankyou