Eric Adams on City Council tensions: ‘We know we still need to resolve this city’

In an attempt to smooth over narratives of tension with the City Council, Mayor Eric Adams recalled Tuesday that he and Speaker Adrienne Adams, a childhood friend, have a “great” relationship. 

“There’s a whole lot of folks that want to hijack the narrative that the first Black speaker and the second Black mayor navigated the city during the most difficult times,” Adams said in reference to attacks on his administration that questioned his executive power to appoint mayoral heads of agencies. 

During his weekly off-topic, Adams mentioned debates within his own family, alluding that the relationship between City Hall and the Council is similar to that of a family, where disagreements are expected.

The latest tension comes after Speaker Adams introduced a bill requiring the Council’s approval over 21 commissioner positions which the mayor would otherwise have sole discretion over.  In a bid to delay a referendum vote on Speaker Adam’s bill, Mayor Adams announced a new Charter Revision Commission, which will review the city charter and find ways to increase the efficiency of the municipal government.

“We know we still need to resolve this city,” Adams said. “If you have a city this complex and you don’t think there are times when there’s disagreement, then you are being idealist and not realistic.” 

Administration members rallied in support of Adams. 

Lisa Zornberg, chief council to the mayor and City Hall, underscored the mayor’s executive right to appoint the heads of mayoral agencies. Zornberg cited the 140 year old law that legalized this mayoral right and a 1975 Charter Revision Commission report. The report found that “it’s the mayor that is broadly elected by the people of New York City and with that responsibility must come accountability for who is appointed and what their performance is,” Zornberg said.

Zornberg criticized the city council’s bill further, claiming it would “discourage good people from serving”, “lead to gaps in service”, and “political charades” that will inhibit the efficiency of the appointment process and efficiency in readily serving the people of New York City. 

Maria Torres-Springer, deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce, noted she has served the last three mayors and quipped that the current Council takes too long getting work done. “This debate is about good government,” said Torres-Springer. “It’s a process that cannot be subject to people’s vacation schedules.”

Tiffany Raspberry, City Halls’s director of governmental affairs, specifically commented on tension between her and Council and denied reports that she abruptly left the hearing where she announced the new Charter Revision Commission. During the hearing, Speaker Adams commented saying that Raspberry's actions showed “a contempt for this council.”

“You really can’t waste time talking about one event that occurred several days ago at the City Council,” Raspberry said. “We are trying to make our city function and our government function in a way that works for New Yorkers.”