Councilman Vincent Gentile Racks Up More Than $30K In Credit Card Debt

Their job is to balance the city’s budget, but some City Council members are having trouble getting their personal spending under control.

When it comes to personal credit card debt, our own Councilman Vincent Gentile appears to be the governing body’s biggest spender — owing between between $30,000 and $287,976 on six different cards, according to 2014 financial disclosure reports released by the Conflicts of Interest Board last week.

Last year, Gentile reported owing between $15,000 and $131,997 on just three cards, with between $5,000 and $43,999 on each card, according to the New York Observer.

The councilman has since opened three more lines of credit. Due to the growing range the councilman’s total debt falls into, it is unclear whether the arrears have actually multiplied since 2013, or whether Gentile has distributed some of that debt amongst the additional cards.

A spokesperson for the councilman declined to specify the exact amount owed or Gentile’s reason for opening new credit lines.

“Just like many Americans, elected officials have mortgages, car payments, medical bills and unexpected expenses,” said Gentile spokesman Tom McGinley. “And just like many Americans, Councilman Gentile has credit card debt which he has been working hard to pay down.”

Last year, it was Councilman Jumaane Williams, of Flatbush, Flatlands, parts of Midwood and Canarsie, who appeared to be the council member with the largest amount of personal debt — between $30,000 and $263,994 spread over six credit cards.

At the time, Williams attributed the debt to a failed business that was shut down in 2008 and said that the amounts fell on the lower end of the $5,000 to $43,999 spectrum, according to the Observer.