The City Council is currently trying to pass a bill that would repeal a policy from Mayor Eric Adams, requiring them to fill out a form before they can meet with department heads in his administration. The bill, which was introduced on Thursday, marks the latest round in the ongoing power struggle between the two branches.
Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn), who is sponsoring the legislation to repeal Adams’ policy, argues that it only serves to politicize government operations. He stated during a council hearing on Thursday that elected officials should be able to work with city agencies to solve neighborhood problems and address critical and emergent health and safety concerns without having to fill out forms for the mayor’s political operation to decide who they want to assist and why.
The bill would also clarify that the city charter “fully empowers agencies to advise and assist elected officials without any prior approvals,” according to Restler. He added that 37 councilmembers have signed on to co-sponsor his bill, giving it a “veto-proof supermajority.
I believe that’s the first time in council history,” Restler said during the Committee of Governmental Operations State and Federal Legislation hearing. Council members bristled when City Hall rolled out the form-filling requirement in April, calling it “bureaucratic BS.
The Adams administration has claimed that the policy would help streamline requests and communication and improve efficiency in city government. A spokesperson from the mayor’s office said Thursday that Restler’s bill was too broad and would end up barring many written requests, including those filed under the Freedom of Information Law.
Restler argued that the number of requests filled out by council members and their staff (about 1.5 asks a pol per month) doesn’t reflect the actual number of times the council’s 51 members have spoken to city agencies. He also claimed that some elected officials who are cozy with the administration don’t need to submit the form, while others are directed to do so.
The two-page Google form asks 14 questions to elected officials before they can speak with city agencies. The policy was announced amidst tension between the mayor’s office and the council over legislation and the city’s budget.
Adams’ Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Tiffany Raspberry, stated in written testimony submitted for Thursday’s hearing that the “Elected Officials Engagement Request Form” was merely about “efficiency” and not a power grab, as some in the council suggested. Her no-show came after she dramatically stormed out of another council hearing in June on a bill to give lawmakers more oversight on mayoral appointments.
