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The sparse few Republicans on the Big Apple City Council will vote for a new leader — again — after a bitter clash between members and a plea to the Democratic speaker for help.
Queens Council member Joanna Ariola is expected to become GOP leader in a vote Friday, a stunning twist after a prior vote to name Staten Island’s David Carr top dog was tossed in the trash.
The internal kerfuffle was sparked by the early departure of former Minority Leader Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) late last month, with a vote for his replacement attended by only three of six GOP members as accusations flew that the others had “boycott” the vote.
Borelli, Carr and Brooklyn Council member Inna Vernikov chose Carr but Ariola threatened to sue saying the vote was illegal because it fell short of a quorum, the minimum number of lawmakers present to conduct business. In the case of the caucus vote, four would have been a quorum.
Ariola sent a letter to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, the city clerk, the general counsel and the parliamentarian to hold off recognizing the vote.
On Monday, the five remaining minority caucus members were served a letter from the general counsel stating Carr’s appointment is “invalid and cannot be accepted.”
“In a six member Republican Conference, a quorum of four would have been sufficient to take action, and a majority of three would have been enough to select a new Minority Leader. However, in this instance there was no quorum,” the letter obtained by The Post states.
A GOP source said Ariola is likely to have three votes now that Borelli has departed, leaving no possibility of a tie.
“I’m feeling confident and looking forward to a fair and equitable vote and moving forward to grow the delegations’ position within the council,” Ariola said ahead of the vote expected at midday on Friday.
When asked about potential fallout from the leadership clash, Ariola waved off the suggestion.
“I know that each member of our delegation is truly devoted to their district and our city and I have no doubt we will all work together to make our city better than ever before,” she said.
None of the other minority members responded to a request for comment.
Borelli, the longstanding Republican voice in the council and now-former minority leader, left office to take a DC lobbying gig. He was term-limited and slated to forgo his seat come 2026.
The caucus drama comes amid historic beef to be reignited between Vernikov and former council member Ari Kagan who are both competing for district 48.
