NYC Council OKs measure to expand its powers, but fight with Mayor Adams is just beginning

The New York City Council has passed a bill to expand its approval authority over high-level appointments in the mayoral administration — a measure that has prompted fierce pushback and political maneuvering from Mayor Eric Adams.

The 46-4 vote on Thursday grants the Council “advice and consent” on the heads of 20 agencies, including sanitation, parks, health, transportation, and housing.

“This bill is just the start to expand advice and consent and the conversation about its checks and balances,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who introduced the bill, prior to the vote.

In a statement after the vote, Deputy Mayor of Communications Fabien Levy accused the Council of “rehashing a 140-year-old political battle that’s already been debated” and said the administration was focusing on public safety and the economy.

The mayor has 30 days to decide whether to veto the bill, setting up a potential third veto override by the Council.

The speaker has framed the plan as one that allows additional scrutiny for key posts that are vulnerable to political patronage. She emphasized that the practice is widely used at the state and federal level and the Council already has advice and consent powers over dozens of positions.

The power play comes at a vulnerable moment for the mayor, who continues to face anemic polling numbers along with two criminal investigations into his 2021 fundraising. The mayor has not been accused of wrongdoing.

The administration, which refused to answer questions about the bill during a Council hearing last week, has argued that weakening the mayor’s ability to unilaterally appoint key agency heads would only further politicize and delay critical appointments.

“These are the people who provide your drinking water, who maintain your parks, who make sure that your streets are clean, who protect public health,” said Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer during the mayor’s weekly press conference on Tuesday.

In a Daily News op-ed, four ex-commissioners from different administrations criticized the Council’s actions as a “grave overstep” of its powers.

The legislation does not immediately become law. Thursday’s vote was only a prologue to what may be a long battle ahead.

Any change affecting the balance of power at City Hall requires a change to the city charter that must be ultimately decided by a citywide voter referendum. Following word of the bill last month, Adams formed a charter review commission, which decides on ballot initiatives and could delay the Council’s plan.

The commission has been holding sparsely attended public hearings this week.

The final version of the bill included two changes: the plan cut the commissioners of emergency management and veterans’ services and added city planning director from the list of advice and consent positions.

Asked about the speaker’s plan on Tuesday, the mayor criticized the focus on the growing rift between himself and Speaker Adams.

“If you have a city this complex, and you don't think there's going to be times when there's a disagreement, then you're being idealistic and not realistic,” he said.

This story has been updated to include comment from the mayor's office.