Hochul Vetoes Bill, Sparked Concerns Over Mayor’s Power
Governor Kathy Hochul has thrown her support behind Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani, but not without controversy. Recently, she vetoed a bill that would have curtailed the mayor’s powers, leading to quiet but noticeable outrage among city council members as Mamdani gears up for his inauguration next month.
The bill aimed to address a perplexing situation where amendments to the City Charter, sanctioned by the City Council, could essentially be overridden by the mayor. This raised eyebrows, to say the least.
A city spokesperson expressed disappointment, stating, “This veto is disappointing and leaves a significant threat to democracy and good governance for New York City and local governments across the state.”
Under the current rules, the City Council can propose modifications to the city’s governing document, which is, in a sense, New York’s constitution, to be voted on by the residents. However, the mayor has the authority to block these amendments from reaching the ballot—something Mayor Eric Adams exercised this year by creating a Charter Revision Commission.
The vetoed bill would have removed the mayor’s ability to prevent charter changes from going to vote. As State Senator Liz Krueger noted, “This law change does not take away the mayor’s right to form a committee and put their own recommendations on the ballot, but it does give the City Council and the public the right to put their own questions on the ballot as well.”
Interestingly, Krueger, the bill’s sponsor, pondered whether Mamdani had had any influence in Hochul’s decision to veto.
Mamdani has faced increasing friction with city council members following his election win last month. Neither he nor Hochul provided comments on the veto as of Monday. However, Hochul did articulate her concerns in her veto message, suggesting that the proposed measure could lead to confusion and disrupt charters in other cities statewide.
“Allowing multiple proposals from different committees to appear on the ballot could result in contradictory proposals, voter confusion, and the passage of inconsistent policies,” Hochul cautioned.
The vetoed bill would have also ensured that mayors could not dismiss charter amendments that had been prompted by public petitions and then put up for a vote.
In response to the veto, lawmakers from the state Legislature insisted that the bill actually affirms the mayor’s authority over the City Council. Rep. Tony Simone remarked, “The actions of past mayors and certainly future mayors demonstrate the need to eliminate the mayor’s power to remove other charter proposals from the ballot.”
“We are disappointed with this veto and will continue to work on reform in the new year,” he added, noting that both he and Krueger had supported Mamdani during the general election.
