The power struggle between Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Council is heating up — with the latter discussing a bill Wednesday that would drastically expand lawmakers’ oversight of mayoral appointees.
The hearing, which got underway at 10 a.m., was taking place just hours before Hizzoner’s new “Charter Revision Commission” was slated to convene for the first time in an effort that could short-circuit the council’s proposed move.
The timing of the dual meetings, which City Hall insisted to Politico was “just a coincidence,” comes as tensions between the mayor and council members have intensified in recent weeks.
Speaker Adrienne Adams, no relation to the mayor, proposed legislation in a closed-door meeting last week that would give the council veto power over 20 commissioner-level gigs in City Hall — including the heads of the transport, health and mental hygiene and social services’ departments.
Currently, the council only has the power to shoot down a few top mayoral appointees, such as the Department of Investigations commissioner.
“This bill is certainly not about curbing the power of any particular mayor but instead is focused on improving government,” Speaker Adams said during Wednesday’s hearing.
Any changes would have to be voted on via a ballot referendum — a move Mayor Adams would likely try to thwart.
After details of the bill dropped last week, Hizzoner announced his own 13-person commission — filled with a number of close allies — to review and advise on revisions to the city charter.
The council’s proposed legislation would broaden the “advice-and-consent” section of the charter.
Some council members flagged concerns over the “convenient” timing of Adams’ commission, arguing the move was payback for floating the initial charter change.
City Hall, however, shot back that talks for the panel had been in the works for months.
Still, no one from the mayor’s office showed up to testify during Wednesday morning’s council hearing. It wasn’t immediately clear if an invite was extended.
“Despite the mayor publicly expressing concern about this legislation, his administration decided to not engage in the legislation process,” Councilman Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) told the hearing as he accused Adams of just trying to “delay this legislation.”
“The mayor’s dismissiveness and disrespect of this city council and his administration’s refusal to engage directly, on the record, on the speaker’s legislation is disappointing.”
