A Westerleigh-based city councilman built a reputation on tackling large- and small-scale projects for his island constituents

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos By Amessé Photography

Steven Matteo was fresh out of law school, newly married and in need of a job, when he answered a want ad in the Staten Island Advance, bought a brand new suit for the occasion, and sat down for a Saturday morning interview with then Councilman James Oddo.

“It was overwhelming, especially when he told me they had another candidate they were most likely going to hire,” Matteo said during a recent phone interview from his Bloomfield headquarters, describing a not-so-grand entrance into local politics. “But it was a great interview; Councilman Oddo and I just clicked, and they called me back for a second interview, which I felt was a pretty positive sign.”

But when Matteo walked into that follow-up, wearing another new suit he couldn’t afford, he literally bumped into the other man they had already hired for the position.

“He was walking out as I was walking in and I was like, ‘I bought a new suit for this!’” Matteo laughed. “But the councilman said he called me back in because there was something about me he liked. It wasn’t the position I interviewed for, but I was ambitious and hungry, so they hired me to work on his staff anyway.”

Admittedly out of the loop when it came to government’s inner workings and local politics, Matteo welcomed the opportunity to train and learn under Oddo’s tutelage. As deputy director of constituent services, he learned about local government by dealing directly with the public fielding requests for pothole fills, tree pruning, water bill discrepancies, and other everyday problems.

“Every issue you can think of we handled,” Matteo recalled. “And there could have been no better introduction to this career. Dealing directly with the community taught me everything I needed to know about my job and more. Within months, we were fixing things…were increasing the quality of life for residents of Staten Island, and that was extremely rewarding.”

Matteo was assigned as a representative to Community Board One, where he worked even more closely with the Mid-Island population to make community changes and improvements. After working in the councilman’s office for two years and successfully running his reelection campaign in 2004, he was promoted to Oddo’s Chief of Staff.

“I think the proudest achievement with Councilman Oddo was our work to widen the intersection of Rockland and Brielle [Avenues],” Matteo said. “He had a vision to widen that road, and as everyone knows in government, it is extremely difficult to take on a capital project like that. But we made it happen, and it has been a wonderful improvement with great results.”

In 2009, when Oddo began talking about running for Borough President, Matteo became a contender for the council member seat, but after a change in the term limits law permitted Oddo to seek a third full term, Matteo backed down. He successfully ran for the position in 2013, however, and took office in January 2014.

“When I took over, I had this 100- point agenda,” Matteo said. “I wanted to keep this ship moving in the positive direction Oddo had steered it, and constituent service was my top priority. I wanted to pay the same attention to the Island that members of my district were used to. I wanted to wake up every day and continue to improve quality of life.”

Better road repair, economic development, and post-Sandy recovery and resiliency were all part of Matteo’s first year accomplishments. His legislation mandated the use of mold-resistant home materials, and he worked with the Mayor, Borough President Oddo, and Minority Leader Vincent Ignizio to secure needed funding to make Staten Island University Hospital safe from future storms.

He also pushed successfully for several wear-and-tear resurfacings of key Mid-Island streets and championed the cause of the West Shore Industrial Business Improvement District. He also helped launch the New Dorp Merchants Group and Victory Boulevard Merchants Association, which will give businesses a stronger voice and the ability to build upon the enormous economic potential in the Mid-Island.

“It’s been my vision to bring more economic vitality to certain communities and corridors in my district,” Matteo said. “And I’ve been instrumental in changing the way small businesses and government relate to each other.”

A lifelong Westerleigh resident, Matteo holds a BA in Political Science from St. Francis College and a Juris Doctorate from Touro Law School. A recipient of the 2011 Twenty Under Forty Leadership Award, Councilman Matteo was also a member of the SI Growth Management Task Force’s subcommittee and played a key role in the City Council’s Task Force on Operations and Improvement of the Department of Buildings. He currently resides in Westerleigh with his wife Anne and their three children.

“It’s more than rewarding to be in a position to improve the quality of life for Staten Islanders,” Matteo concluded. “This is a wonderful place to live, and I have the opportunity to do the best I can to make it even better. It’s my responsibility to give my constituents everything they deserve, and no issue is too big or small to tackle.”

Councilman Steven Matteo
900 South Ave., Suite 403 / 718.980.1017
SMatteo@council.nyc.gov