Steven Banks, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s nominee for New York Metropolis Company Counsel, tesitfied earlier than Metropolis Council on Feb. 4. Picture by John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decide to move town’s Regulation Division was confirmed by the New York Metropolis Council after promising to be a lawyer for all the metropolis, not simply the mayor, at his affirmation listening to final week.
Steven Banks, who served as town’s “homelessness czar” on the metropolis’s Division of Homeless Providers underneath former Mayor Invoice de Blasio, is about to return to Metropolis Corridor after being confirmed Thursday through a 42-6 Metropolis Council vote, with one abstention.
“I look forward to representing the whole city,” Banks stated at his affirmation listening to final week. He added that he seemed ahead to bringing a “unique perspective” to the division as somebody who spent 33 years litigating in opposition to it whereas serving because the legal professional in chief of the Authorized Support Society.
Whereas Banks’ affirmation was met with reward from a handful of council members who stated they “celebrated” him main the division as they voted sure, Republican Minority Chief David Carr vocally opposed his nomination. Carr stated he and Banks had “philosophical differences,” together with over town’s proper to shelter insurance policies, of which Banks helped set up as an architect of the landmark McCain v. Koch settlement.
At his affirmation listening to final week, Banks was questioned by roughly a dozen council members who stated they didn’t need a repeat of their expertise underneath the Adams administration, the place they stated they felt like they didn’t have sufficient confidential authorized recommendation.
Banks promised he’d be accessible to members — and that each one recommendation could be really confidential — providing to provide every his telephone quantity so they may name him every time obligatory.
Banks emphasised he’d goal to work collaboratively with the Metropolis Council and mayor to keep away from main disagreements between the 2, like the sort that arose repeatedly underneath Adams. If disagreements do come up, Banks stated he’d work to reconcile the totally different factors of view in an effort to “ultimately represent … the proper point of view under the law.”
“I’m not beholden to any institution, any particular elected official,” Banks instructed the council final week. “My fidelity is to the rule of law and making sure that the best interests of the city of New York are served, regardless of what part of the city is advancing a particular point of view.”
Banks additionally cited his expertise as a frontrunner of Authorized Support Society, working with an enormous workers on a good finances, as one thing that may assist him work with Mamdani on his objective of hiring a whole lot of attorneys regardless of budgetary constraints.
“I know how to manage a budget. I know how to look for cost savings, and I know how to make sure that the agencies are running as they should,” Banks stated.
“The mayor certainly has said very publicly that he wants to restore staffing at the law department to address the fact that it had been hollowed out,” Banks stated. “I look forward to working with the mayor and working frankly with the council to address the staffing needs there, as well as looking at efficiencies [and] at the areas where I think more can be done.”
Banks will take over the publish from Muriel Goode-Trufant, who served as company counsel since June 2023.
