Eric Adams appoints Department of Education staff member as New York City’s first ever ‘rat czar’

New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed an employee of the Department of Education (DOE) to become the city’s first ever “rat czar,” according to a Wednesday press release.

Kathleen Corradi, the director of space planning for the NYC DOE, has been tasked by Adams to reduce the city’s rat infestation through coordination with government agencies and community organizations, according to a Wednesday press release. The Adams administration first posted the job opening in December 2022, seeking to pay the city’s new director of rodent migration an annual salary between $120,000 and $170,000, according to the New York Post.

“New York City has done a lot recently when it comes to fighting public enemy number one: rats,” Adams said in a press release. “But it was clear we needed someone solely focused on leading our rat reduction efforts across all five boroughs, and today I’m proud to announce Kathy Corradi as New York City’s first-ever ‘rat czar.’ Kathy has the knowledge, drive, experience and energy to send rats packing and create a cleaner, more welcoming city for all New Yorkers.”

The city is investing $3.5 million to launch the “Harlem Rat Mitigation Zone” which will seek to reduce the rat population in several areas including 73 parks and nearly 70 schools, the press release stated. The program is hiring 19 full-time staff members and 14 seasonal employees to exterminate the city’s rats.

The city documented 60,000 rat citations in 2022, double the amount recorded in 2021, according to NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In 2022, Adams signed a bill into law which requires NYC residents to pull their trash cans in by 8 p.m., an effort to cut down on the rat population.

“Today marks a new era in our battle against the scourge of rats in New York City,” David C. Banks, NYC DOE Chancellor, said in a press release. “With the hiring of our first citywide director of rodent mitigation, we are taking a significant step forward in protecting the health and safety of our students both at home and at school.

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