Foil: Your right to Know.
“Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski has announced that this will be his last term representing Rockland County in Albany.
“My gut just tells me it’s time to move on to other things,” the West Nyack Democrat said in an exclusive interview with lohud.com. “This is an all-encompassing job, government and politics.”
Zebrowski won his ninth term representing District 96 in the New York State Assembly in 2022. The seat is on the ballot again in November.
What’s next? Zebrowski, first elected at age 26 and now 43, says he has no immediate plans. “I think I’m likely to stay in the public policy ecosystem,” he said. “I’ll figure out what’s next later.”
Now, though, there’s work to be done.
Among the priorities: Making further progress on stabilizing the East Ramapo school district. Zebrowski was key in championing state-appointed monitors for East Ramapo, and then pushing for more power for the team appointed by the state education commissioner. “It’s the strictest oversight in New York state history,” he said. But challenges loom. “There’s an enormous operating deficit there where the school district is unlikely to meet payroll in a couple years,” Zebrowski said. While state and federal funding have increased, “the one thing the monitors can’t do is pass a budget. That’s up to the residents there.”
“It’s been a great district for me,” Zebrowski said. But Rockland has long been more purple in the red/blue divide. “We live in a district where people are willing to vote for the candidate. You have to work hard in this district.”
Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann found Zebrowski did just that. “I’m a Republican,” he said. “Politics didn’t matter. We had a good working relationship and I’d even say a friendship. You can’t replace that kind of legislative experience easily or quickly.”
Hoehmann said during his nine years as supervisor, Zebrowski has brought near $10 million in extra funding to the town. “This is an enormous loss to the state of New York, the county of Rockland and the town of Clarkstown.”
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said she will miss Zebrowski’s counsel and friendship. “He is one of the best colleagues I’ve ever worked with,” the 12-term Scarsdale Democrat said. “He’s always a key go-to. He’s someone whose opinion I trust.”
Zebrowski, with enough seniority to land plum committee assignments and leadership roles, said he likes to “get into the weeds” of policy but also enjoys supporting businesses, local government and nonprofits at home.
Rockland County Pride Center Executive Director Brooke Malloy said Zebrowski dug in to understand nonprofits’ needs.
“It wasn’t just writing checks, it was checking in,” Malloy said. Zebrowski would discuss pending legislation that impacted the LGBTQ+ community with Pride Center staff. He would meet with youth at the center to discuss policymaking and their concerns. “It was refreshing to have someone to authentically care and be involved on every level,” Malloy said.
Hoehmann, who before being elected supervisor was COO of Camp Venture and CEO of Rockland Independent Living Center, now BRIDGES, concurred. “I’ve really tried to do the work and make progress,” Zebrowski said. “I’ve tried not to be all about performance and press releases and press conferences. Government shouldn’t be the daily entertainment. Government should try to provide stability, predictability, help people’s lives.”
For complete coverage, including a review of Zebrowski’s many accomplishments, go to the Journal News article here.
