New York Note: Mayoral Actions and Client Spotlight

Mayor Takes Action on City Council Protest “Buffer-Zone” Legislation

On Friday, Mayor Mamdani vetoed Introduction 175-B, but said he would allow Introduction 1-B to become law. The vetoed legislation would have required the NYPD to establish protest buffer zones around educational institutions. The Mayor cited overly broad language and constitutional concerns related to New Yorkers’ right to protest. Though the Mayor has not indicated whether he will sign Intro. 1‑B, which addresses protests near houses of worship, the legislation may become law within 30 days if the mayor neither signs nor vetoes it.

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Mayor Mamdani Establishes Office of Deed Theft Prevention

Mayor Zohran Mamdani established the City’s first Office of Deed Theft Prevention via Executive Order No. 16, and appointed Peter White, an attorney with Access Justice Brooklyn, as its director. Housed within the Department of Finance, the office will lead coordinated efforts with the Sheriff’s Office, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and multiple City agencies and state and local partners to combat deed theft through enhanced enforcement, identification of suspicious filings, law‑enforcement coordination, public education, preventative safeguards, and improved interagency data‑sharing.

Mayoral Appointments: DDC Commissioner, DORIS Commissioner, and Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the appointment of Paul Ochoa, Shawn(ta) Smith‑Cruz, and Annie Levers to leadership roles across key City agencies and offices. Paul Ochoa, who will serve as Commissioner of the Department of Design and Construction, most recently served as Executive Deputy Commissioner at NYC DOT with prior senior leadership experience at DSNY and in the Mayor’s Office on legislative and infrastructure strategy. Shawn(ta) Smith‑Cruz, appointed Commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services, previously served as Dean of the Barnard College Library, and Annie Levers, appointed Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations, most recently served as Deputy Comptroller for Policy.

Client Spotlight: Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development (ANHD)

Speaker Julie Menin announced a proposal to reform New York City’s Construction Codes to unlock housing development on small, underutilized lots across the five boroughs, an initiative that could enable up to 35,000 new homes citywide without rezonings. As part of this effort, the Council launched a new Advisory Group on Housing Affordability, co‑chaired by Barika Williams, Executive Director of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, alongside other labor and development leaders. The group will help shape practical, safety‑focused policy solutions to address the city’s historic housing shortage and growing affordability crisis.

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