The 4th floor of Yonkers City Hall isn’t always bustling, and City Council Majority Leader Tasha Diaz wants to know why.
Since starting her leadership position in early 2022, Diaz has been striving to change accountability standards for council employees and office staff. Five months into her role, she recognizes that taxpayers deserve staff who work for their full paycheck.
In an interview with the Yonkers Times, Diaz detailed her perspective.
“[For the sake of the taxpayers] I think there should be some kind of accountability if you are a full-time employee. If you are not in the office, we should know where you are and what you are doing.”
Diaz, who represents the 3rd council district, now requires council staff to use their ID cards when coming and going from City Hall. She argues that the public deserves to know how their tax dollars are being spent—and that council employees are earning their salaries.
As a leader in the community, Diaz wants to provide similar leadership within the council offices. Although she admits that not everyone responded positively to the changes, she believes it is a necessary step towards transparency and accountability.
“I took on this role to try and provide more leadership in the overall way that our council offices operate,” she explains. “It’s about showing leadership and being in the office and not just being a leader in name only […] I may have ruffled some feathers but sometimes that’s what leadership requires and sometimes change is good.”
