The City Council is experiencing a significant decline in productivity, with a staggering 86% drop in introduced bills compared to the previous year. Since the formation of a Charter Revision Commission aimed at reducing the mayor's power, the council has been left understaffed and distracted. Speaker Adrienne Adams, who has announced a mayoral candidacy, has stretched essential staff thin, impacting the legislative process. Consequently, the average time for drafting bills is increasing, and the introduction of resolutions has also decreased significantly, raising concerns among council members about the effectiveness of their meetings and legislative outputs.
"We're definitely understaffed, and the leadership is really distracted," said a Democratic councilmember.
"When you're pulling staff to help with the Charter Commission and other projects like that, you're stretching Council resources, and it seems like it's taking a long time to get bills done and back in our hands."
"It's ironic when I'm trying to get a simple bill drafted but the speaker is infringing on her own democratic institution by taking away valuable resources."
Council resolutions - such as non-binding 'home rule messages' - are also plummeting, with 155 introduced since Jan. 21, down 61% from 394 during the same period in 2024.
#city-council #productivity-decline #legislative-process #adrienne-adams #charter-revision-commission
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