New board chair wins on 'Bortnick Ballot'

December 23, 2006
By Matthew Lysiak
for the Brooklyn Paper
By Matthew Lysiak
for The Brooklyn Papers
Dean Rasinya is the new
chairman of Community
Board 10 — but the vote to
elect him took a backseat to a
bizarre debate that brought
back horrifying memories of
the 2000 presidential election.
It began innocently enough
on Monday night, when the two
candidates for the post — Rasinya
and Eleanor Schiano —
prepared to make their election
speeches before the traditional
show-of-hands vote.
But before that could happen,
board member Allen Bortnick’s
arm shot up.
“I don’t mean to usurp your
authority,” Bortnick told outgoing
Chairman Craig Eaton. “But
it is our right [to] vote with paper
ballots in place of the show
of hands.”
Bortnick was well prepared
for a fight. He had been told by
the Borough President’s office
that a written ballot was permitted
as long as it remained public
and not private.
“But we don’t have ballots,”
a seemingly amused Eaton responded.Bortnick replied by holding
up professional-looking ballots
— with pencils already attached.
By that time, the entire room
was consumed in debate over
which method to use: the
“we’re all friends here” show of
hands or the so-called “Bortnick
ballot.”
“I want to avoid the awkwardness
that some people may
feel with a hand vote,” Bortnick
said.
Not everyone agreed.
“I want a show of hands,”
one woman said, threatening to
walk out. “I don’t trust these
people not to mess with my
vote.”
The haggling continued until
it became clear that there was a
consensus for the “Bortnick ballot.”
Finally, after nearly two
hours of debate, the candidates
took the floor to make their
case.
The speeches concluded, and
the voting began.
“This is complete bulls—,” a
woman said as she walked back
from handing in her ballot.
By the way, Rasinya defeated
Schiano by a 27–22 vote.
He pledged reform.
“I will work to build strong
alliances with community
groups and religious organizations,”
said Rasinya.
A former police captain,
Rasinya has belonged to nearly
two-dozen civic and charitable
organizations, in addition to
serving with CB 10, most recently
as vice-president.
“My only agenda is for the
people,” Rasinya said.