After Bill Perkins opted to run for the New York State Senate in 2005, Dickens entered the primary for City Council to replace him, and won.

As a newly elected council member, Inez was appointed majority whip and chair of the Committee on Standards and Ethics.

[4] She became the first African-American woman in the history of the New York City Council to be appointed to the positions of deputy majority leader and chair of the Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions.

In August 2013, the New York Post wrote a series of articles detailing Inez Dicken's history as a landlord.

As of July 2013, she had $265,000 in unpaid code violations dating as far back as 2004,[5] earning her a spot on the Public Advocate's "Worst Landlord's Watch List.

"[7] In 2016, Assemblyman Keith L. T. Wright, who had served in the Assembly for over 25 years, announced he would run to succeed long-time Congressman Charlie Rangel.