Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
New state bill would let City Council remove NYC mayor from office
By
Jon Campbell
Published May 2, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Jon Campbell
By
Jon Campbell
Published May 2, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Some Democratic state lawmakers want to grant the New York City Council the ability to remove a sitting mayor from office, two-and-a-half months after Gov. Kathy Hochul declined to exercise her power to force Mayor Eric Adams out.
At a news conference on Thursday, state Sen. Jabari Brisport and Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, both Democrats representing New York City, said they will soon introduce a bill that would allow the Council to remove a mayor with a three-fourths majority vote. That process could only be triggered if the mayor had been provided with a copy of the charges against them and was given an opportunity to respond.
The bill would not alter the governor’s authority to remove a mayor, which generations of governors — including Hochul — have been reluctant to use despite numerous mayoral scandals. Nor would it eliminate the so-called inability committee, a five-member panel of city leaders that can remove a mayor in certain circumstances.
Instead, the bill would add the Council to the list of those with removal powers, which Epstein said would align the process more closely with gubernatorial or presidential impeachment.
“ The same thing should happen on the city level that happens on the state and the federal level,” Epstein, who is running for a City Council seat, said at the Capitol on Thursday. “ I think [voters] would actually welcome that, because otherwise there's just a governor on her own to decide to remove a mayor.”
Hochul twice declined to remove Adams from office — first in September, when the mayor was charged with bribery, and again in February, when federal prosecutors accused him of entering a quid pro quo with President Donald Trump’s administration to get the charges dismissed.
In both cases, Hochul said she was concerned about unilaterally overturning the will of the voters, particularly when Adams is up for re-election this year.
“As if their records weren’t dangerous enough, Jabari Brisport and Harvey Epstein are smacking democracy in the face and making it abundantly clear that they do not care at all about the will of the voters," City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said. "The nearly 8.5 million New Yorkers who call this city home are the only people who should ever be able to decide who their mayor is, and Jabari and Harvey should be ashamed for trying to usurp the will of the people.”
Brisport and Epstein were joined by a handful of Democratic colleagues at the press conference on Thursday. But if their bill is to get a vote, they’ll need support from the Council itself.
In order for the state Legislature to act on the bill, it’ll need what’s known as a home rule message – a resolution approved by the Council in support.
Councilmember Gale Brewer, who chairs the Committee on Oversight and Investigations, is leading the push to get the message passed, according to Epstein.
“I am not focused on the current mayor,” Brewer said in a statement. “I am focused on changing the policy for the future.”
A spokesperson for Council Speaker Adrienne Adams — herself a candidate for mayor — declined to comment.
Tagged
new york city
new york state
Politics
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYPD searching for suspect after fatal stabbing in Queens
Officers responding to a call at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and 173rd Street around 1 a.m. found 29-year-old Sulimon Ferrier, who had multiple stab wounds to his chest, police said.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 4:38 p.m. ET
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
It’s unclear if the attackers knew the victim was NYPD.
By
Jill Webb
News
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
It’s unclear if the attackers knew the victim was NYPD.
By
Jill Webb
Astoria-born Chip City announces sudden closure days after former CEO sues
By
Catalina Gonella
US judge tosses Trump lawsuit targeting pro-Palestinian protesters in NJ
By
Willow Higgins
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .