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GOP Borough President James Oddo said volunteering to be on a community board is an excellent way to serve the borough.

(Advance file photo)

ST. GEORGE - Want to get more involved in your community?

Then GOP Borough President James Oddo wants you to join one of Staten Island's three community boards.

"Joining a community board is an excellent way to serve your community," said Oddo.

The boards play a key advisory role in the city's land use process and also tackle other issues that impact individual neighborhoods as well as the community and borough as a whole.

Board members serve for a two-year term. Anyone interested should submit their application by June 2.

Applications can be found here.

"Community boards are an institution in city government that allows citizens to play an active role in their government," Oddo said. "I want to ensure that our local community boards have a diverse array of perspectives and opinions."

Board members are expected to attend one full board meeting and one board committee meeting per month.

For more information, contact Marie Carmody-LaFrancesca at Borough Hall at mlafrancesca@statenislandusa.com or 718-816-2141.

The borough president appoints community board members in consultation with the Island's three City Council members. Each board has 51 slots.

In a bid to inject new blood into the boards and remove political influence, former Conservative Borough President James Molinaro in 2007 had barred those working for Island elected officials or serving on the executive committee of borough political parties from serving on the boards.

Oddo said he would keep that policy in place in an effort to broaden the pool of people looking to serve on the boards.

"We want to open up and diversify the process," he said. "The more people of more varied backgrounds who are engaged, the better."

Oddo added, "People from the political realm haven't been banging on my door to serve on the community boards."