Advocacy How-To: Writing to your elected officials

Informing your elected officials of the issues that matter to you--to your neighborhood--is critical.  Whether you send an email, mail a letter or pick up the phone and speak to a member of staff, your neighborhood needs you to take action! Consider this post your one-stop shop for contacting your elected officials.

STEP ONE: Determine who are your elected officials.
It's easy to learn who is your City Council member, State Assembly member and so on; just click here and type in your address. 

STEP TWO: Get inspired!
Visit the LW! YouTube Channel to watch video from the first public hearing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a refresher on each representatives' comments about the proposed West End Avenue historic district extension. Still need a little help getting started? Here's a sample letter.
 
STEP THREE: Draft a succinct message that shares your concerns 
and requests their support.
If the above-linked sample letter is helpful, terrific!  If you'd prefer to send in something more individualized, that's equally great.  We recommend first offering thanks for support your elected officials have offered to important community issues in the past.  West End Avenue, for example, received early support from Upper West Side elected officials in whose districts landmarking would occur, thanks to the West End Preservation Society (WEPS). Then, request their continued commitment at the public hearing on October 3rd.

STEP FOUR (option 1): Send your email!
One email is all it takes!  Copy-paste the addresses below and share your request for support with all of the West Side's elected representatives at once:

     Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer: bp@manhattanbp.org
     City Council Member Gale Brewer: gbrewer@council.nyc.gov
     City Council Member Inez Dickens: idickens@council.nyc.gov
     City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito: mviverito@council.nyc.gov
     State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal: rosentl@assembly.state.ny.us
     State Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell: oneilln@assembly.state.ny.us
     State Senator Thomas K. Duane: duane@nysenate.gov
     State Senator Adriano Espaillat: espailla@nysenate.gov
     State Senator Bill Perkins: perkins@senate.state.ny.us
     Congressman Jerrold Nadler: form email-only available; click here
     Congressman Charles Rangel: form email-only available; click here
     And be sure add landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org in the "cc" line!

STEP FOUR (option 2): Send your letter!
Prefer to send a letter in hardcopy?  Links to each official's contact page is below:

     Congressmen Jerrold Nadler and Charles Rangel

     Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer

     State Senators Thomas K. Duane, Adriano Espaillat and Bill Perkins.

     State Assembly Members Linda Rosenthal and Daniel O'Donnell

     City Council Members Gale Brewer, Inez Dickens and Melissa Mark-Viverito.
 
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Your support is essential to ensuring that our neighborhood's priorities are shared by our elected officials.  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to them.