Manhattan Borough President’s Office to use blind review for Community Board 2 openings

Valerie Delar Rosa, chair of Manhattan Community Board 2, opened the April executive committee meeting and announced a briefing from the Manhattan Borough President’s Office on the application process for board seats.

A committee chair said the Borough President’s Office convened roughly 40 nonprofit and community organizations to serve as independent reviewers who will blind-read and assign scores to applicants for the seven available seats. Board staff confirmed CB2 received 66 applications, counting incumbents who reapplied.

The committee chair emphasized that the blind-review step is new for this cycle but does not remove the Borough President’s Office from the final selection process: independent reviewers will observe interviews and contribute scores, and the Borough President’s Office will remain influential in interviews and decisions.

Board members asked procedural questions about how interviews will be conducted and whether reviewers will observe the interview process; the committee chair said interview panels will include independent reviewers to assess group dynamics as well as application materials.

Why it matters: Community boards shape local appointments and advisory positions on land use, licensing and services. The new blind-review step aims to reduce bias in application assessment, but members flagged that the Borough President’s Office continues to exercise significant influence over outcomes.

The committee expects interview scheduling and candidate notifications in the coming days and said it will keep applicants informed of next steps.