New York Note: Adams Nominates Corporation Counsel, Comptroller Challenges Mayor, State Funding for Second Ave Subway

August 5, 2024

Mayor Adams Nominates Corporation Counsel

Mayor Eric Adams has nominated Randy Mastro as Corporation Counsel, the Administration’s top lawyer who presides over the Law Department. Adams’ previous Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Hinds-Radix, departed in May. Mastro is a former aide to Mayor Rudy Giuliani and current partner at the law firm King and Spalding. The NYC Council must now confirm Mastro’s nomination, but many Councilmembers, including the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, have spoken out against Mastro’s nomination. The Council must hold a hearing on the nomination within 30 days.

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Comptroller Lander to Run for Mayor in 2025

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced that he will challenge Mayor Eric Adams in the 2025 mayoral primary. Prior Comptroller Scott Stringer and Brooklyn State Senator Zellnor Myrie have already announced that they will also be challenging Mayor Adams. Adams has not addressed his opponents publicly. The last time an incumbent mayor was challenged by someone within their own party was in 1989, when then-Comptroller Goldin ran against Mayor Koch, due to his low approval ratings in the Democratic primary; both candidates lost the primary to David Dinkins, who was ultimately elected as mayor.

State Funding for Second Avenue Subway

Governor Hochul announced $54 million in State funding to support the Second Avenue Subway expansion project, which will extend the Second Avenue line to 125th Street in East Harlem. The MTA initially intended to draw funds generated from congestion pricing to fund subway improvements, but since Governor Hochul halted the program, there is now a budget gap of $16.5 billion in projects aimed at upgrading subway and bus networks. While there is no current plan to fill the budget gap, Governor Hochul has stated that she is committed to funding the MTA capital plan through alternative sources.

New York Supreme Court’s Ruling on the CityFHEPS Reform Laws

A state judge has ruled that City Council did not have legal authority to expand the CityFHEPS housing voucher program. Mayor Adams vetoed a package of bills that would expand eligibility for housing vouchers, and the NYC Council overrode the Mayor’s veto. Tenants then sued the city to implement the law. However, last Thursday, New York Supreme Court Judge Lyle E. Frank ruled in favor of Mayor Adams, arguing that the authority to approve laws was a state matter. A spokesperson from NYC Council stated that the Council would be pursuing an appeal on the case.

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