Donovan J. Richards - The New York City Council

Donovan Richards is a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens and the Rockaways. He has an associate's degree in aviation and airway management and operations from Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology.

Borough President - Queens

Donovan is currently the Queens Borough President. He was elected in 2022 and is serving his first term. He previously served as a New York City Council member from 2013 to 2021.

Supports connecting businesses with resources to help them grow.

Plans to host town halls with the NYC Department of Small Business Services to connect Queens businesses with resources.

Supports providing virtual guides for securing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and hosting educational workshops on starting businesses and job creation.

Plans to create guides for securing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and host educational workshops on starting businesses.

Plans to have an ombudsman in his office to oversee the quality of recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Plans to have a dedicated employee in his office to address economic concerns. 

Supports investing in Queens to become a technology hub by implementing workforce development programs and helping start-ups.

Wants to invest in Queens as a technology hub by implementing workforce development programs and helping start-ups.

- Plans to host town halls with the NYC Department of Small Business Services to connect Queens businesses with resources.
- Plans to create guides for securing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and host educational workshops on starting businesses.
- Plans to have a dedicated employee in his office to address economic concerns. 
- Wants to invest in Queens as a technology hub by implementing workforce development programs and helping start-ups.

Economy

Supports helping community-based organizations secure funding from public and private sectors.

Supports helping non-profits secure funding from public and private sectors.

Supports expanding broadband access, improving internet literacy, and providing digital marketing assistance to close the digital divide.

Supports expanding internet access, improving internet literacy, and providing digital marketing assistance for small businesses.

Supports finding new locations for senior housing, including using city-owned sites and vacant land or parking lots.

Supports finding new locations for senior housing, including using city-owned sites and unused land.

Supports the growth of supportive housing for veterans.

Supports expanding access to supportive housing for veterans.

- Supports helping non-profits secure funding from public and private sectors.
- Supports expanding internet access, improving internet literacy, and providing digital marketing assistance for small businesses.
- Supports finding new locations for senior housing, including using city-owned sites and unused land.
- Supports expanding access to supportive housing for veterans.

Public Services

Supports ensuring all new developments are sustainable.

- Supports ensuring all new developments are sustainable.

Housing & Urban Development

Opposes having U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Queens courts, housing developments, and schools.

Opposes city collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Supports providing resources to help people contest decisions in immigration court.

Supports giving immigrants access to legal services.

Supports the creation of a central database for information sharing to combat hate crimes and bias incidents.

Supports creating a central database to share information on hate crimes and bias incidents.

- Opposes city collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Supports giving immigrants access to legal services.
- Supports creating a central database to share information on hate crimes and bias incidents.

Public Safety

As a city council member, secured over $1.5 billion to improve sewer infrastructure in Southeast Queens.

As a city council member, secured funds to improve sewer infrastructure in Southeast Queens.

Supports transforming the bike network into a borough-wide interconnected web by engaging the cycling community, redesigning streets, and promoting bicycles as a legitimate mode of transportation.

Supports funding and expanding infrastructure for bikes.

Supports busways along center medians with all-door boarding to speed up commutes and enhance accessibility, starting with Archer Avenue in Jamaica.

Supports busways along center medians with all-door boarding to make buses faster and more accessible.

Supports implementing congestion pricing, which charges drivers for entering busy areas during peak times, as it could generate "a billion dollar revenue stream that would be a game changer for the MTA."

- As a city council member, secured funds to improve sewer infrastructure in Southeast Queens.
- Supports funding and expanding infrastructure for bikes.
- Supports busways along center medians with all-door boarding to make buses faster and more accessible.
- Supports congestion pricing.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Plans to invest in solar power for city-owned buildings.

- Plans to invest in solar power for city-owned buildings.

Energy & the Environment

Supports increasing funding for existing hospitals.

Supports increasing funding for existing hospitals and building new ones.

- Supports increasing funding for existing hospitals and building new ones.

Healthcare

Plans to partner with higher education institutions, private entities, and the Queens Economic Development Corporation to create sustainability innovation labs.

- Plans to partner with higher education institutions, private entities, and the Queens Economic Development Corporation to create sustainability innovation labs.

Education

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Donovan Richards

As chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, supported Mayor de Blasio's initiative for affordable housing citywide and helped negotiate a "stronger, more inclusive" housing policy.

Donovan Richards is a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens and the Rockaways.

- Plans to host town halls with the NYC Department of Small Business Services to connect Queens businesses with resources.
- Plans to create guides for securing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and host educational workshops on starting businesses.
- Plans to have a dedicated employee in his office to address economic concerns. 

- Supports helping non-profits secure funding from public and private sectors.

As of July 16, 2025, Donovan Richards’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports expanding scooter and Citi Bike sharing services in Queens, particularly in the Rockaways and Eastern Queens, to boost local interest and businesses.

Supports expanding scooter and Citi Bike sharing services in Queens, particularly in the Rockaways and Eastern Queens.

Supports transitioning to an all-electric bus fleet.

Supports switching to all-electric city buses.

Supports expanding the Jamaica Bus Depot to improve MTA service for the borough.

Supports expanding the Jamaica Bus Depot for the borough.

Supports overhauling the Queens Bus Network to improve connectivity with subways, cultural institutions, and commercial hubs.

Supports redesigning the Queens Bus Network to improve connectivity with subways, cultural centers, and commercial hubs.

- As a city council member, secured funds to improve sewer infrastructure in Southeast Queens.
- Supports funding and expanding infrastructure for bikes.
- Supports expanding scooter and Citi Bike sharing services in Queens, particularly in the Rockaways and Eastern Queens.
- Supports busways along center medians with all-door boarding to make buses faster and more accessible.
- Supports switching to all-electric city buses.
- Supports expanding the Jamaica Bus Depot for the borough.
- Supports redesigning the Queens Bus Network to improve connectivity with subways, cultural centers, and commercial hubs.

As of July 16, 2025, Donovan Richards did not have a website or any information online.

- Borough Presidents serve as advocates for their respective boroughs, advising the mayor and city agencies on borough-specific needs and priorities. ​
- By influencing budget allocations and land use decisions, Borough Presidents can directly impact the development and quality of life in their boroughs.
- Borough Presidents are elected to four-year terms and can serve up to two consecutive terms. ​
- The annual salary for a Borough President is $179,200. ​