News in New York – Hochul Appoints Delgado as Lieutenant Governor, Adams Announces Several Administration Appointments, NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation

Governor Kathy Hochul Appoints Antonio Delgado as Lieutenant Governor

Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Congressman Antonio Delgado as New York’s Lieutenant Governor. Delgado has served in Congress since 2019, representing New York’s 19th Congressional District which encompasses parts of the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, and was the first person of color to represent upstate New York in Congress. In Congress, Delgado chairs the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, and also serves on the House Small Business and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. Delgado will replace Brian Benjamin who resigned after he was indicted and arrested on federal charges of bribery and wire fraud, although he has continued to maintain his innocence. In addition, Hochul’s appointment of Delgado comes after the Legislature approved a bill that would let the Governor’s selection appear on the ballot instead of Benjamin in the primary election, which is currently scheduled for June.

Mayor Eric Adams Announces Several Administration Appointments

Last week, Mayor Eric Adams announced several appointment to his Administration. The Mayor appointed Eric Ulrich as Commissioner of the Department of Buildings (DOB) and Kazimir Vilenchik as First Deputy Commissioner. Ulrich currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Mayor, and previously served three terms in the City Council. Adams also appointed Sideya Sherman as Commissioner of the recently established Mayor’s Office of Equity, where she will lead the city’s effort to advance equity through policy and programs. In addition, the Mayor appointed Anthony Miranda as New York City Sheriff, where he will oversee the city’s primary civil law enforcement agency.

NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation

Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed a bill that will require the City to issue a report that would identify parks and playgrounds that have routinely failed DPR inspections and submit on how the issues at such parks and playgrounds will be corrected. The Council introduced legislation which would suspend the city’s tax on liquor licenses for the tax year beginning in 2022, which is supported by Mayor Adams. They also introduced a bill that would require the owner of any real property in the city to register the property as vacant after it is vacant for one year, with registrations needing to be renewed annually. In addition, the Council introduced legislation that would require the City to create an Office of Interagency Tourism Affairs. You can find all of the bills that were passed and introduced here.