City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (pictured) was near the top of his class, according to the Urban Justice Center's Human Rights Report Card, whereas Councilman Peter Vallone's score indicated he could use some tutoring.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) is going to have to make some room on his fridge.

The chairman of the Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations had the best record of the Queens delegation on human rights issues last year, according to the Urban Justice Center’s 2011 Human Rights Report Card.

The report card identified 72 bills introduced over the past year that focused on housing, voting, disability and workers’ rights as well as issues concerning criminal and juvenile justice, health and government accountability.

Each Council member was graded on his or her votes and sponsorship of these bills as well as their response to a questionnaire.

Van Bramer voted in favor of eight bills, sponsored 52 — including two he was the primary sponsor of — and returned his questionnaire, all of which earned him an “A-.”

He fared particularly well when it came to housing rights and government accountability.

On the other end of the spectrum, Councilman Peter Vallone’s (D-Astoria) score of 12 earned him a grade of “D+,” the lowest in the borough.

Vallone was the primary sponsor of two human rights bills and sponsored three others. He voted in favor of four bills and did not respond to the questionnaire.

The councilman criticized the methodology of the report, calling into question the voting records of other Council members who scored higher than he did.

“Apparently, supporting brutal and repressive dictators gets you an ‘A’ from this supposed human rights group. I’m proud to be at the bottom of any list Charles Barron is at the top of,” he said.

Councilman Barron (D-Brooklyn), who praised the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, earned an “A” on the report card.

Council members James Sanders (D-Laurelton) and Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) both received a “B-” and Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) got a grade of “B.”

Receiving a grade of “C” were Council members Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans).

Councilmen Peter Koo (R-Flushing), Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) each scored slightly lower: a “C-.”

Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) got a “D+” and Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), who took office last November, did not receive a grade.

While the report assigned each Council member a grade, its primary criticism was of the political power of the speaker and the Council’s failure to challenge that power.

Of the 72 bills introduced, only eight were brought to a vote, and the report implied this was because Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) did not support them.

Quinn’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The report cited two rules that allow the Council to advance the process of legislation that does not have the speaker’s support.

“There are no clear reasons for the Council’s reticence in taking advantage of these two rules. However, based [on] reports that the speaker readily wields political power internally, and on conversations with advocates, we speculate that failure to do so is linked with the desire of most Council members to maintain a relatively friendly relationship with the speaker,” the report read.

“However, given its impact on human rights in New York City, business as usual is not sufficient to protect our human rights. Council members should act — individually and as a collective — to challenge the status quo even in the face of political reprisals,” it continued.

Councilman Ruben Wills walks into August Martin High School to cast his vote. Photo by Christina Santucci

City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) said he is looking forward to continuing his agenda for \southeast Queens after voters decided to keep him in office for the remainder of his term.

Wills, 40, trounced former Councilman Allan Jennings, Clifton Stanley Diaz and Michael Duvalle for the seat with 2,699 votes, or 70 percent of the total of 3,832 votes, according to unofficial election results from the Associated Press, which had 87 out of 95 voting precincts reporting. Since there will be no Republican challengers in the general election, Wills will be serving the remaining two years left in the Council term that was vacated in 2010 when Thomas White died.

“Today’s victory sends a clear message that we are a community that will stick together. he said in a statement.

Wills represents the 28th Council District, which includes Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Rochdale Village and Richmond Hill. He won the special election last year when White died eight months into his second term and had to run again this year under City Charter rules.

Jennings, who lost to Wills during last year’s election, had 624 votes, or 16 percent, according to the AP. Diaz, a board member of Rochdale Village, received 226 votes, or 6 percent, while Duvalle, a business owner, received 283 votes, 7 percent, the AP said.

The race was heated between Jennings and Wills, who raised the most money of the candidates, and their competition got heated
Tuesday outside August Martin High School after Wills placed his vote.

The councilman and his 21-year-old daughter Julissa approached Jennings on 157th Street as he was greeting voters and demanded that he answer for a campaign flier that allegedly made reference to Wills’ child support woes, according to an observer who saw the flier.

The challenger eventually got into an SUV with a staffer and drove off while the councilman kept scolding him from the street.

“We’re going to run you out of this community,” Wills shouted.

This was the first time Diaz and Duvalle officially ran for public office and the two made a low-key grassroots campaign. Diaz had spent $17,456 for his run while Duvalle spent $813, campaign finance records show.?

“I put up a good fight to the best of my ability,” Diaz said after the results were released.

Turnout was low, according to poll workers, and those? who came out to vote said they were unimpressed with the candidates during the campaign.

A voter who only asked to be named John, 86,? said he was displeased with Wills and Jennings’ antics but was more upset that the other two novice candidates did not make more of an effort to promote their agendas.

“They were very poor, all of them,” he said.

Walthene Permus, however, said she was impressed with Wills’ work and said she was hopeful he would help the community over the next two years.

“Every time I see him, he’s out there on the street and he has the community’s interests at heart,” she said.

City Councilman Ruben Wills (r.) and his daughter Julissa confront Allan Jennings outside of August Martin High School. Photo by Ivan Pereira

The bad blood between City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) and his opponent Allan Jennings heated up  Tuesday as the two men crossed paths outside August Martin High School just as the incumbent placed his vote in the Democratic primary for the special election.

Wills, who was accompanied by his wife Marcia and 21-year-old daughter Julissa, approached Jennings who was greeting voters outside the school at 156-10 Baisley Blvd. Jennings allegedly distributed campaign fliers that criticized Wills for not paying child support to his daughter, who was born out of wedlock with another woman, according to one observer who had seen the literature.

Wills and his daughter both walked toward Jennings on 157th Street and demanded that he apologize for the fliers.

“What’s wrong? “You’re not going to apologize?” Wills asked as Jennings silently walked away.

The councilman went after Jennings’s three staff members who accompanied him and also blasted them for supporting the candidate. Jennings eventually made his way to a BMW SUV and drove off with a staffer as Wills kept shouting.

“We’re going to run you out of this community,” Wills shouted.

This is not the first time that Jennings and Wills have butted heads. Two years ago, Wills challenged Jennings’s petition signatures for that year’s Democratic primary and got into an argument with Jennings at the Board of Election offices in Kew Gardens.

Wills allegedly took a swing at Jennings, missed, and struck one of Jennings’s campaign workers who was knocked to the ground. The police issued Wills a summons for his action.

Wills, who was elected in November to the seat left vacant by the death of Tom White, is required to run in another election to determine who serves out the remainder of the term.

Michael Duvalle

Michael Duvalle has lived in southeast Queens for more than 40 years with his family. Duvalle, who served with the Navy, owned his own security company where he claims he created more than 2000 jobs. He also used to serve as the president of the Rockaway Merchants Association.

Up until this year Duvalle, was a member of the Community Education Council 27 which serves most of southeast Queens.

This is the first time Duvalle has run for any public office.

Clifton Stanley Diaz

Clifton Stanley Diaz has been a member of the Rochdale Village board of directors for many years. The retired Air Force member has been involved with several community activist groups, including Rochdale’s civic.

Another group he was part of was the city’s anti-drug task force during the late ‘80s and he helped to rename a street near the 103rd Precinct in honor of a slain police officer. This is the first time he has formally run for office.

Ruben Wills

Ruben Wills was elected to office during last year’s special election following Thomas White’s death. He had worked with state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) prior to his election.

Wills has received several endorsements from other elected officials, including Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) and groups such as the United Federation of Teachers.

Clifton Stanley Diaz (clockwise top l.), Allan Jennings, Ruben Wills and Michael Duvalle are the candidates listed on the ballot of the Democratic primary for the special election for the 28th Council district.

Voters in southeast Queens will be heading back to the polls Tuesday in the first step to determine who will be their City Hall representative for the next two years and the men who are vying for the spot are sparing no expense for the seat, according to campaign finance records.

City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) will be facing off against three candidates for the Democratic nod in the special election for the 28th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Rochdale Village and Richmond Hill.

Former Councilman Allan Jennings, Rochdale Village board member Clifton Stanley Diaz and community activist Michael Duvalle are the other candidates who will be on the ballot, according to the city Board of Elections.

Wills, 40, was elected to office during a special election last year that decided who would fill the seat that was vacated by Tom White, who died less than a year into his second four-year term. As part of the rules for the special election, Wills had to run again during the 2011 election cycle to keep his seat for the remainder of the term.

There are no Republican candidates listed for the general election.

Despite being in the spotlight recently for a 15-year-old misdemeanor case in Manhattan Criminal Court and another misdemeanor case in Nassau County Criminal Court, Wills has received numerous endorsements and financial backing for his run.

Several Council members, including Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) and Councilwoman Karen Kozlowitz (D-Forest Hills), have supported Wills along with several unions, such as the United Federation of Teachers and SEIU Local 1199.

Campaign finance records show that he has collected $45,335 in donations for his campaign and received $76,465 in public funds. Wills has spent $71,147 on his re-election so far, according to campaign finance records.

Jennings, who served in the Council from 2002-06, is taking his third shot at returning to the seat. The former elected official, who was censured by the Council on sexual harassment charges, had vied for the seat during the 2009 Democratic primary and last year’s special election, but had back-to-back losses.

Jennings has collected $79,991 for his campaign, but $67,000 of that money came from loans, according to campaign finance records, and he is not receiving public funds. The challenger has spent $8,139 for his campaign, records show.

Diaz has not formally made a run for office prior to this election, but he has said that his years as a member of Rochdale Village’s board of directors and as a lifelong activist in southeast Queens would make him an ideal candidate. Diaz has collected $16,695 for his run and has spent $17,456, according to campaign finance records.

Duvalle is the fourth candidate in the race. Duvalle is a U.S. Navy veteran who worked as a small business owner and was president of the Rockaway Merchant Association, according to his campaign website.

The father of two, a lifelong resident of southeast Queens, has raised $1,364 and only spent $813 for his campaign, according to campaign finance records.

Allan Jennings

Allan Jennings served as the Council member for the 28th District from 2002 to 2006. He was censured and fined by the Council and eventually lost to the Democratic primary to Thomas White, who was endorsed by the party.

He attempted to run for the Council seat in 2009 but lost in the primary to Thomas White. Last year he threw his hat into the ring during the special election to fill White’s seat following his death.

Clifton Stanley Diaz has been active in the Rochdale Village community for years. Photo by Ivan Pereira

Clifton Stanley Diaz has spent years managing the ins and outs of one of southeast Queens’ biggest co-op communities, and he said his experience would give him an edge in City Hall.

Diaz, 62, is one of three candidates who will be challenging City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) in next month’s Democratic primary in the special election for the 28th Council District seat.

The U.S. Air Force veteran and customer service worker for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said better leadership was needed to tackle the biggest problems in the district, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale and South Ozone Park.

“We need a clean politician representing out community,” said Diaz, chairman of the board of directors at Rochdale Village.

Diaz, who originally hails from the Bronx but has lived in southeast Queens since the 1960s, said the biggest issue in the neighborhood is the lack of jobs. He blamed City Hall for not putting enough time, money and resources into training programs for youth and as a result hundreds of residents are unemployed and hopeless.

He noted that the long lines outside the Social Security office in downtown Jamaica looked like something out of the Great Depression.

“You can create programs, but there is too much waste, fraud and ?mismanagement,” said the candidate, who has three children.

Diaz said he also has concerns about the rise in crime in southeast Queens. Although he said there is some hostility between officers and residents in the neighborhood, Diaz said the first key to turning things around is an improvement in relations between the police precincts and civilians.

The candidate, who served? in the Air Force police force, said he has worked with the 103rd Precinct in the past and used to be part of the city’s anti-drug task force in the late ’80s.

“You have to have a real commitment to get things done,” Diaz said.

The challenger said he wants the city to take a stronger role in curbing the foreclosure crisis in southeast Queens. Neighborhoods such as Jamaica, Springfield Gardens and St. Albans lead the state in the number of foreclosures and the problem is not subsiding, according to Diaz.

He said he would propose new legislation that would require the banks to give homeowners more time to work out a solution. Many of the homeowners got into financial straits because of unscrupulous lending practices and they deserve a second chance, according to Diaz.

“We need to do something to help [homeowners],” he said.

Although Diaz has not held public office, he said he has worked to help residents during his years on the Rochdale board and the Rochdale Village Civic Association and that knowledge of the community’s needs would guide him in office.

“Here at Rochdale, I’m known for being with the people,” he said.

Ruben Wills's misdemeanor trial has been postponed till after his September primary.

A Manhattan judge has postponed the much-delayed misdemeanor trial for City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) until after his primary, but the beleaguered elected official said he is focused on other matters.

Wills, who is facing four candidates next month in the special election to remain the representative of the 28th Council District, was flanked by an entourage of clergy members when he went to his hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court Aug. 17.

That was supposed to be the first day of his trial on charges of petit larceny, criminal trespass and criminal mischief charges dating back to 1996, but the judge pushed it back to Oct. 7 for undisclosed reasons, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said.

Lupe Todd, the councilman’s spokeswoman, declined to comment about the reason behind the date change or why he went to court with the group. Wills got defensive with reporters outside the court when asked if the 15-year-old case compromises his tenure in office.

“You know what? That’s a matter of opinion,” he said, according to the New York Post.

Wills, 40, is accused of breaking into Inner City Communications, a PR firm that was based in Chinatown, on Aug. 16, 1996, and damaging a wall before removing a fan and track lighting. Prosecutors contend that he was retaliating against the firm after it fired him over some contracting work.

He initially agreed to pay restitution to the firm’s owners, but did not show up in court despite several bench warrants that were issued by a judge, the latest being in September 1996.?

The case was reopened in March after it was revealed in a published report? along with another open misdemeanor case in Nassau County Criminal Court. Despite several hearings over the last couple of months, Wills was not able to come to an agreement with prosecutors and will face trial for the charges.

He was elected last fall following the death of Thomas White, who had served eight months into his second term of office. As part of the special election, Wills must run again this fall to determine whether he or another candidate will continue to serve out the remainder of White’s term for the district, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale and South Ozone Park.

As of press time Tuesday, he had three challengers in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary: Michael Duvalle, Clifton Stanley Diaz and former Councilman Allan Jennings. Two of the candidates listed on the city Campaign Finance Board, David Kayode and Stephen Jones, were removed from the city Board of Elections’ candidates list for undisclosed reasons.

There were no registered Republicans running for the seat as of press time?.

City Speaker Christine Quinn and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer check out the Central Library's new Discovery science center. Photo by Ivan Pereira

Just weeks after City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) and the rest of her Council colleagues saved the Queens Library from massive cuts in the city budget, she took a tour and saw exactly where the money went.

Quinn met with staff members at the Central Branch, at 89-11 Merrick Blvd., last week to thank them for their raising their voices because it helped give the Council the backing it needed to? reduce the cuts to the system from $25 million to $2 million during this fiscal year’s budget. The original cuts would have resulted in dozens of staff layoffs and a reduction in hours and services across the borough.

The speaker, who was joined by Queens Library Chief Executive Officer Thomas Galante and Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) and Vincent J. Gentile (D-Brooklyn), said the library was an important resource for New Yorkers during the tough economic times.

“We want? to keep libraries as big and robust as possible,” she said.

Several rallies were held at branches all over Queens during the weeks of budget negotiations, and dozens of staff members and library users of all ages came out to show their support. The proposed reduction in the budget would have caused libraries to be open less than five days a week.

Van Bramer, who chairs the Council Libraries & International Intergroup Relations Committee and who also used to work as the Queens Library’s government liaison, said he and his fellow elected officials refused to accept balancing the city’s books on the backs of hardworking members of the branches.

“We saved a lot of jobs in the budget and we saved a lot of hope,” he said.

Comrie added that the branches in southeast Queens have offered his constituents needed services, such as Internet access and a place for seniors and youth to meet during their free time.

“I know the impact of the libraries,” he said.

The delegation got a tour of the central branch’s newest addition, the Discovery Center, which has already attracted library users of all ages. The center includes an upgraded children’s section and several interactive science exhibits.

The $38 million space was made possible from a funding from the Council over the years.

“We are so grateful to have a group that is there for the library,” Galante said.

Clifton Stanley Diaz (clockwise top r.), Allan Jennings and Stephen Jones are three candidates who are challenging Ruben Wills for this year's special election. David B. Kayode, who is not pictured, is another challenger. Top r. photo courtesy of Clifton Stanley Diaz

Political contenders old and new have thrown their hats into the ring to determine who will represent parts of southeast Queens for the next two years, but so far they have not built a strong financial war chest, campaign finance records show.

The city Campaign Finance Board has listed four candidates who will be challenging City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) during this year’s special election for the 28th Council District seat.

The election is the final part of the process that was done to replace the late Thomas White, who died last August, eight months into his second term as representative for the district that covers the neighborhoods of Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale and South Ozone Park.

In the November special election that decided who would fill the seat for one year, Wills defeated Nicole Paultre-Bell, Albert Baldeo, Allan Jennings, Charles Bilal, Harpreet Toor and Martha Butler.

The councilman has collected $29,015 in contributions so far and spent $8,345 for his re-election campaign, according to campaign finance records. His largest donation came from a Queens political action committee, Local 1182 Political Action, which gave $2,500, the records showed.

“The majority of our contributions have come from people that live within the district which speaks to the tremendous amount of support Council member Wills has in the community in his first eight months in office,” Tyquana Henderson, Wills’ campaign manager, said in a statement.

Jennings, the councilman for the district between 2002 and 2006 but was censured by the Council for a series of bizarre acts, is taking another shot at getting back into City Hall.?

The former elected official has raised $5,857, including $2,150 in contributions from a former staffer, Priestly Taylor, and has spent $3,766 on this Council run, campaign finance records show.

A campaign finance spokeswoman said the former elected official has opted out of the matching funds program.

Another returning contender to this year’s race is Stephen Jones. Jones, who has not held any political office but used to serve as a member of School Board 29’s community council, lost to White in the 2009 Democratic primary.

So far he has raised $1,060 for his newest bid and spent $1,170, according to the Campaign Finance Board. Jones is the largest contributor to his own campaign with $250, campaign finance records show.

Clifton Stanley Diaz, a U.S. Air Force veteran who currently serves as the president of the Rochdale Village Civic Association, is one of the two new candidates in the race. Although he has not officially run for office, he attempted to get on the ballot for the 2005 Democratic primary but could not gather enough signatures.

Diaz said he does not have that problem now.

“This time people are signing my petitions like wildfire,” said the candidate, who added that he missed Friday’s deadline for campaign finance filing.

Community Board 12 member the Rev. David B. Kayode is the final candidate listed in the race. Kayode, a Nigerian immigrant, has worked as an outreach leader with the city Department of Homeless Services and currently works as a substance abuse adviser at a New York state-credentialed alcohol clinic in Brooklyn.

He has raised $2,975 and spent $3,200 on his campaign so far, the Campaign Finance Board said. Kayode’s largest contributor is Gbenga Famojuro of Far Rockaway, who has given $600 to the campaign, according to campaign finance records.

Kayode, Jones and Jennings could not be reached for comment as of press time Tuesday.

The election will decide who will serve the two years left on Council term for seat that had been held by the late Thomas White, who died 10 months after he was re-elected in 2009.

Allan Jennings, who lost to Wills in the special election in November, is taking another shot at getting back to City Hall. Jennings served as the Council member for the district between 2002 and 2006 but was defeated by White in the 2005 Democratic primary following a series of bizarre actions that led to the Council’s censuring him.

He has chosen not to participate in the Campaign Finance Board’s matching funds program, according to a spokeswoman.

Another returning contender is Stephen Jones, who lost in the 2009 Democratic primary for the seat. Jones has not held any office, but he is a former member of School Board 29’s Community Council.

Clifton Stanley Diaz is a newcomer to the race. He is the president of the Rochdale Village Civic Association and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, according to his profile on the civic’s website.

David B. Kayode, a member of Community Board 12, is the final candidate listed on the Campaign Finance database. Kayode, a Nigerian immigrant, is an ordained minister  and has worked as an outreach leader with the city’s Department of Homeless Services and currently works as a substance abuse adviser at a New York state credentialed alcohol clinic in Brooklyn.

The deadline for the candidate’s campaign finance is midnight Friday, but the Campaign Finance Board has tweeted some of the candidates’ contributions so far.

Kayode has raised $2,975 while Jones has raised $1,060.

Ruben Wills speaks at a rally at the Friendship Center in December. He and Councilman Leroy Comrie gave thousands of dollars to the center's parent group, JSPOA, in their member items this year. Photo by Christina Santucci

City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) has given out more than a million dollars in taxpayer money to more than ?a hundred of groups in southeast Queens during this fiscal year.

His fellow southeast Queens members on the Council, Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) and James Sanders (D-Laurelton), have also parceled out large donations to community groups with a combined total of more than a million dollars, according to the city’s list of discretionary funding.

Comrie, the deputy majority leader at City Hall, has listed 144 member items in this year’s budget, including small donations to neighborhood groups such as the Cambria Heights Civic Association, which received $3,500, and large contributions to long-running community organizations, such as the $28,000 he gave to the Afrikan Poetry Theatre for workshops.

In total, the councilman, who represents the neighborhoods of St. Albans, Hollis, Cambria Heights, Jamaica, Baisley Park and Addisleigh Park in the 27th Council District, distributed $1,124,121.

The largest single contribution went to a performing arts center at York College, at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Jamaica, where the councilman’s wife, Marcia Moxam Comrie, works in the Department of Marketing and Communications. Comrie gave $45,000 to support the center’s 12-part series that brings the arts to southeast Queens.

The councilman gave a combined $57,550 to the Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults, JSPOA, in four separate items. The nonprofit has been caring for senior citizens in the neighborhood for years and was on the verge of losing one of its centers, the Friendship Center, due to a cut in funding from the city Department for the Aging.

The city reversed its plans and restored the funding after a massive rally in December which Comrie attended.

“The Council member does not want to put them in a situation where they can not fund their centers,” Reggie Thomas, the director of legislative budget affairs for Comrie’s office.

Comrie was not available for comment.?

Although he has been in the Council for less than a year, Wills had 69 member items listed and has given a total of $577,071.

Wills, who replaced the late Thomas White as the Council representative for the 28th District in a special election in November, gave $28,500 to the nonprofit group Young Leaders Inc. to help fund after-school activities for elementary and middle school.

“These groups do an incredible amount of work in the community, but they have not secured enough grants to do a lot of services. I decided to fund them based on that,” said Wills, who represents the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village.?

Comrie, Sanders and Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) have all contributed to Young Leaders during this financial year, according to the member item list.

Wills’s other member items include two grants to the southeast Queens housing advocacy group Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica that totaled $20,000 and $12,500 to JSPOA.

Sanders, who represents the neighborhoods of Rosedale, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Far Rockaway, Arverne, Bayswater and Edgemere in the 31st Council District, donated $588,321 with 48 member items. The councilman gave a combined $183,750 to the Margert Community Corp. with three different member items for senior, youth and community engagement services, according to the expense list.

The Rockaway-based nonprofit focuses primarily on housing counseling, but it also provides free services such as trips for seniors and a summer concert series in southeast Queens, according to Sanders.

“Margert is kind enough to sponsor a music festival that has become regionally renowned,” he said. “We have had groups as [big] as Roberta Flack, Ernie Eisley and Maxi Priest.”

Sanders said the money has gone a long way to help out his constituents over the years.

“Overwhelmingly, the city and the taxpayers of New York feel proud for what their Council members are using their money for,” he said.

A judge has set an August trial date for Ruben Wills's nearly 15-year-old break-in case.

Despite having nearly 15 years to settle a misdemeanor case, City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) will be facing a trial for those charges in Manhattan later this summer.

Prosecutors and Wills’ attorney could not reach an agreement Friday to resolve a 1996 case in which the councilman allegedly broke into a public relations firm and removed a fan and track lighting, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said.

As a result, the judge in the case set a trial date for Aug. 17, according to the spokeswoman.

Wills’ office declined to comment about the court hearing or the pending trial. If convicted on the petit larceny, criminal trespass and criminal mischief misdemeanor charges, he could face up to a year in prison, a spokeswoman for the DA’s office said.

On Aug. 14, 1996, Wills, who was 25 at the time, entered Inner Circle Communications around 10 a.m., damaged a wall and took the fan and lighting, the criminal complaint said. Prosecutors contend the councilman, who used to run a contracting business at the time, was retaliating against the owner after he fired him for a project.

Three bench warrants were issued following the initial charge, but Wills did not show up in court to answer them until March, when the cases were exposed in a published report. He is also dealing with a separate disposition matter in Nassau County Criminal Court over a misdemeanor charge involving an unlicensed permit for construction.

This is not the first time Wills has had a run in with the authorities?.

Two years ago, he allegedly caused a ruckus at the Queens Board of Elections office in Kew Gardens when he challenged rival Allan Jennings’ ballot signatures for that fall’s Democratic primary for a Council race?.

Wills and Jennings, who both went on to lose the primary that year, got into a heated argument and Wills took a swing at his opponent but missed and struck one of Jennings’ volunteers, the police said. The volunteer was knocked to the ground, but not seriously hurt?.

Police responded to the scene and issued Wills a harassment report but did not arrest him, according to the authorities.

Wills won a special election the next year and replaced the late Tom White as the Council member representing the neighborhoods of the 28th District: Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village.

Another election for the district is slated for his fall to determine who will fill the seat for the remainder of White’s four-year term.

Manhattan prosecutors and Wills’s attorneys told a Manhattan Supreme Court judge Friday that both parties could not reach a disposition for the money he owed for the alleged break in and theft in August 1996, said Diem Tran, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan DA’s office.

A trial date was set for Aug. 17, where the councilman will stand trial for petit larceny, criminal mischief and criminal trespass misdemeanor charges, according to the spokeswoman. If convicted of the charges, the councilman, who also is dealing with a separate disposition issue in Nassau County criminal court, faces a maximum of a year in prison.

Wills’s office declined to comment about the court appearance.

Following his initial charge for the crime in September 1996, a judge issued three bench warrants, but the councilman did not respond till this March after the warrants were exposed in a published report.

The criminal complaint said Wills, who used to have a contracting firm during the late ’90s, broke into Inner Circle Communications, a PR firm in Chinatown, and removed a fan and track lighting. Prosecutors contend that he retaliated against the owners of the firm after they terminated his work at the office.

City Comptroller John Liu (r.) was joined by City Councilman Leroy Comrie (l.) when he visited St. Albans to discuss the challenges small businesses face. Photo by Rebecca Henely

City Comptroller John Liu told about 30 business owners in St. Albans Friday he was fighting to ensure they were not unfairly burdened by city government rules and could work to recover the city’s economy.

“The only way we’re going to bring ourselves out of this is by going to small business,” Liu said.

Joined by City Councilmen Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) and state Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Jamaica), Liu spoke at the Occasions Banquet and Catering Hall, at 127-08 Merrick Blvd. in St. Albans, to members of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp. and the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District.

While there, Liu gave the southeast Queens business community an update on the city’s financial state and answered questions.

Liu said times are tough for the city. Unemployment is dropping, but is still high and three times higher among minority populations. Liu said that while minority- and women-owned businesses received $400 million in city contracts this year, that was not enough compared to the $18 billion the city awarded in contracts overall.

The comptroller also questioned the city’s spending money on consultants who take in high fees or have been stealing from the city. He mentioned William Lanhan, a consultant who allegedly stole $3.6 million from the city Department of Education, and the CityTime scandal that broke last year in which consultants paid to supervise the creation of a software program to keep track of the hours of city employees supposedly bilked the city out of $80 million.

“I think it’s really enlightening about the consultants in New York City,” Cook said about Liu’s comments.

Liu also went after the amount of regulations levied against small businesses, which some business owners who attended the event complained subjected them to multiple fees. The comptroller was especially critical of ticket blitzes, which he said are sometimes used for regulations that have gone enforced for long periods of time or are poorly understood. These can range from fees related to parking, sanitation or buildings.

“It’s unpredictable. It puts people out of business,” Liu said. “It creates nightmares.”

He said the city’s profits on parking tickets alone before the Bloomberg administration had been $200 million a year, but now are $1 billion a year.

Wills said the city leans on small business to get the economy out of the financial crisis, yet agencies burden them with violations ?to generate revenue.

“The challenge small businesses face have become more abundant because of the fiscal crisis they’re in,” Wills said.

Comrie also agreed with ridding small businesses of regulations that are overly burdensome or duplicated.

“Small business is the lifeblood of the city,” Comrie said. “It produces the most jobs.”

A proposal is being worked on to rename a southeast Queens street in honor of former City Councilman Thomas White.

City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) has announced that he is working on a bill that would honor the life and work of his predecessor, Thomas White.

A street renaming measure is in the works for somewhere in the southeast Queens neighborhoods where the former councilman lived, Wills said during last week’s Community Board 12 meeting.

Tyquana Henderson, a board member who works for Wills, said three locations were being considered for the designation that would need approval from the full Council. Henderson, who was White’s godchild and said she considered him her mentor, was one of the 29 board members who gave their approval to the councilman’s proposal.

Although the measure does not need the board’s OK to become a reality, Henderson said they wanted to let Wills know they would back it.

“It was a blanket motion that the community board supports the street renaming,” she said.

Wills’ office said it was going over their plans with various agencies, including the city Department of Transportation.

One of the locations is close to White’s drug rehab center, J-Cap, on Sutphin Boulevard near Foch Avenue in Jamaica. The other two possible locations are 137th Avenue near Rockaway Boulevard and 137th Avenue near Farmers Boulevard.

White died of cancer in the summer after decades of work as a community activist and a councilman for District 28, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village, where he lived most of his life.

City Councilmen Robert Jackson (l.) and Leroy Comrie show off Happy Meals and a study Comrie conducted on their nutritional value for children. Photo courtesy Comrie's office

City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) acknowledged that his recent crusade against childhood obesity would result in some shots at his own weight problems, but he is determined to make a difference and give his constituents healthier choices.

Comrie’s Happy Meal legislation, which he introduced into the Council last week, would fine restaurants that give children toys with meals that have high fat, salt and unhealthy ingredients.

Kids have started on their path to childhood obesity with Happy Meals at McDonald’s restaurants and similar promotions at other fast food joints, according to the councilman.

“The children start eating these toy meals as early as 2 years old and they associate eating a high-sodium, high-fat meal with getting a toy,” he said.

The bill, which has the support of several Council members, including Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) and Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), would fine the restaurants anywhere from $200 to $2,500 for including toys in meal packages that have more than 500 calories, 600 milligrams of sodium and high percentages of saturated fat.

Comrie said that in many parts of the city, especially southeast Queens, there are not that many healthy restaurants or stores stocked with fresh foods. The city is planning to give incentives to business owners to open up healthy supermarkets in parts of South Jamaica as part of a rezoning project, but the councilman said further steps needed to be taken.

“We don’t have a salad bar restaurant in southeast Queens, we don’t have juice bars,” he said.

But not everyone is lining up to support Comrie’s plan. Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) blasted Comrie’s initiative.

“This is yet another step too far. We already require restaurants to disclose calorie counts. If people want to buy their kids a Happy Meal, it is their right to make that choice.,” he said in a statement.

McDonald’s sided with the husky Halloran and released a statement contending that removing the toys from the menu would not stop childhood obesity.

“On average, kids eat at McDonald’s about three times a month,” the company said. “ That means about 87 other meals are eaten at home, school or elsewhere. That adds up to a discussion larger than toys.”

Happy Meal menus at McDonald’s include the option for eaters to have apple slices as a side order to the hamburger, cheeseburger or chicken nuggets instead of fries.

McDonald’s Happy Meals currently include toys featuring the popular characters that appear in the animated family movie “Rio.”

Since the bill’s introduction, Comrie has been the butt of many jokes from various media outlets due to his own weight, which he would not disclose but has been reported to be around 300 pounds.? A few years ago, he took part in a national diet movement known as “50 million pound challenge,” but the councilman admitted that he was still struggling to lose weight.

The councilman said he has been open about his own personal battle against obesity and expected there to be plenty of personal jabs at his size. However, at the end of the day, he said he was focused on improving the health of his constituents.

“I expected people tried to twist it, but I think we’ve brought up a necessary topic and we’re proud that we’ve gotten some people to talk,”? he said.

Wills, who won a special election in November to represent the 28th Council District after Councilman Thomas White’s death over the summer, is taking aim at pharmacists and other medicine vendors who illegally sell expired over-the-counter drugs.

Under state law, the sale of those outdated medications are prohibited at major retailers, however, the councilman said individual vendors have been selling expired Theraflu, Tylenol, Nyquil and Robitussin at street fairs and other vendors’ markets.

“Residents who are purchasing these medications at neighborhood flea markets are unaware that they are ingesting expired medications,” he said in a statement.

Under Wills’s legislation, the loophole in the state law will be closed and broaden the law to include “persons.” This would eliminate any distinctions between vendors and retailers, according to the councilman.

“It is the responsibility of anyone who is selling over-the-counter medications to put the health and safety of consumers ahead of profits and sales,” he said.

Violators would be punished with a a class B misdemeanor and would receive a sentence of a maximum of three months in jail and a maximum fine of $250.