Regardless of what Mayor Adams does in the next few days or what other people do. to He — Governor Hochul will have to start working second shifts. Her main job is and Serves as the de facto mayor of New York City.
Last week, Adams was indicted by the federal government on five counts, including bribery and wire fraud, and City Hall was thrown into chaos beyond Gotham.
Something may or may not happen by the end of this year. Adams may persist in his work while proclaiming his innocence.
Or he may resign, perhaps on advice from his lawyer that the prosecutor may lose interest in the case. former mayor.
Alternatively, Mr. Hochul may have the right to suspend him — and begin the process of removing him, which would take at least 30 days.
in Any In this case, New York would effectively and indefinitely be without a mayor. If Adams leaves, Jumaane Williams, the city's left-handed public defender, will take over, but Williams never got around to it. anything.
So whether a weakened Mr. Adams staggers until December 2025, a special election in the intervening months, and an inexperienced Mr. Williams taking charge for a while, the Hezuner scandal has spawned Gotham. We need a strong governor to fill the power vacuum.
and hochul do She has power that she can wield for the good of the city.
For example, she can intervene to alleviate our immigration crisis. It was Accepts 61,700 immigrants The city's shelters are costing taxpayers $4.7 billion this year, including $1.3 billion in state funds.
But New York City is obligated to provide beds for everyone. state In the more than 40 years that the Constitution and this “right to seek refuge” have constrained Gotham, no governor has proposed legislation to define it.
Mr. Hochul would rather throw money at the problem than take responsibility, but instead would like to see more issues, including who is eligible and how long shelter residents can stay, that the court has declared. This could push for legislation to restrict this right.
To be sure, Mr. Hochul has not proven adept at steering lawmakers. But she could certainly demand some accountability for the money the state is spending. already Expenses.
Hochul should use its state funds to pressure the city to close its most problematic shelter hotels, such as The Row and The Roosevelt in Midtown, and return the facilities to productive use. .
The governor can also influence the city's budget.
In just one month, the mayor will have to update this year's $115.1 billion budget and prepare for the next one. Mr. Hochul must ensure that neither Mr. Adams nor Mr. Williams overspends during their limited tenures.
She has the power to do so because of her authority over the Fiscal Control Board, which controlled the city's finances during the fiscal crisis nearly 50 years ago. Although the FCB no longer directly controls city spending, it is still required to approve the budget each year and certify that the budget is balanced.
Hochul can use FCB to make the city's budget more realistic. city auditor recently warned Adams said the organization is “under budget” by $2.9 billion this year, including overtime ($730 million in likely unfunded expenses) and benefits ($500 million).
And she doesn't officially have to do Something to draw attention to the city, like E.J. McMahon pointed out. In 2020, then-Gov. Cuomo's FCB announced it would schedule additional meetings after Cuomo warned the board would “closely monitor” city spending.
The implicit threat led then-Mayor Bill de Blasio to backtrack on plans to borrow money for operating costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
FCB, appointed by Hochul, should make it clear that they will keep a close eye on Adams, or his interim replacement, and will intervene if necessary.
Hochul also has unused influence in the field of public security. She cannot and should not usurp the mayor's control over the NYPD, but she do He holds power over the state-run subway system, one of the main areas patrolled by the NYPD.
For nearly three years, Mr. Adams has argued that the NYPD can protect the subways through overtime. It turned out to be insufficient. There have been nine underground murders in the city this year, five times the pre-COVID-19 rate.
Coincidentally, NYPD Traffic Commissioner Michael Kemper had just “retired.” Moved to MTA There, he will lead public security.
The governor should ask Kemper to report on the number of cops in the metro. realistically If there is a need, and if the state's criminal justice and mental health systems can do more to support police.
I can't afford to go to New York. one day Since we don't have a functioning mayor, much less for several months, the offender is either Hochul or no one else.
Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor for the Manhattan Institute's City Journal.
