New York City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala has spent her time in office supporting New Yorkers with mental illness, chairing both the Mental Health, Disabilities and Addictions Committee as well as the General Welfare Committee. Her brother, who died last year, had bipolar disorder and had been hospitalized and incarcerated, she told City & State. He also used heroin. “I wasn’t able to help him the way I wanted to because the system is so broken,” she said. “I’m happy that I was in the position that I have been because I felt like I could not only advocate for him, but for people like him.” Ayala also passed legislation to create a syringe buyback program. “It’s an example of how my own personal life intertwines with the work that I do,” she said. The outgoing council member, who represents parts of Manhattan and the Bronx, spoke with City & State about her only-in-New-York path to the City Council – and her legacy. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
This is one of those seats that has a succession story where you worked for former New York City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito for a long time and then she passed the seat to you. Same with Elsie Encarnacion, who has worked for you for a long time, and you’re passing the seat to her. What do you think is accomplished when you have that continuity?
I think people undervalue the importance of that. They just assume that we feel like we’re entitled to the seat and we just want to hold on to it. But there’s a lot of benefit to the community in this type of succession planning, because Elsie, for instance, has been sitting in on meetings for years. She knows all of the issues. She’s going to be ready to go on Day One. … For instance, I have Metropolitan Hospital, which is my pet project. We’ve infused over $70 million into Metropolitan Hospital. We still need another $115 million to do a new emergency room…