First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro.
Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro went on the assault towards Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams on Friday, charging that she “misused” her workplace by booting two council members off her finances staff after they endorsed her mayor’s race rival Andrew Cuomo.
The primary deputy mayor’s feedback re-ignite tensions between himself and the speaker. The pair seemed to be making an attempt to reconcile, following Mastro’s latest appointment as first deputy mayor, after the speaker successfully killed his nomination to be town’s high legal professional final 12 months.
Mastro framed the speaker eradicating two “experienced” council finances negotiators from her staff as detrimental to the “extremely important” ongoing negotiations over town’s Fiscal 12 months 2026 spending plan. The 2 sides of Metropolis Corridor should go a finances for the following fiscal 12 months by a July 1 deadline.
“The speaker has misused her city position for her own personal interest,” Mastro mentioned. “This is not the way responsible parties should be conducting themselves. It places politics ahead of process. The appearance of impropriety should have no place in these budget negotiations.”
Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams .Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Mastro’s feedback come after the council voted on Thursday to empower Speaker Adams to sue Metropolis Corridor over potential violations of town’s sanctuary legal guidelines. The council argues the motion was obligatory following Mastro signing an govt order, after Mayor Adams recused himself, permitting federal immigration authorities to function on Rikers Island for the primary time in over a decade.
Council spokesperson Mara Davis responded by accusing Mastro of making an attempt to “distract” from the physique taking motion to dam Mayor Adams’ administration from aiding with Trump’s immigration crackdown. The speaker has charged Adams made the transfer as a part of a quid professional quo with the Trump administration to drop his felony indictment — a request granted by a federal choose final week.
Davis additionally blasted Mastro for reportedly persevering with to signify Madison Sq. Backyard as a personal legal professional whereas holding the publish of first deputy mayor.
“The council acted in unity this week to stop the Mayor and his Deputy from illegally handing City Hall’s power to the Trump administration,” Davis mentioned in an announcement. “If Randy Mastro wants to distract from that by turning the office of First Deputy Mayor into a political attack machine while representing special interests like MSG—that’s fine. We’re not backing down.”
Davis additionally took goal on the excessive quantity of turnover in Mayor Adams’ administration over his almost three and a half years in workplace. Mastro is Adams’ fourth first deputy mayor, he’s on his fourth police comissioner, and third deputy mayor for public security.
“We’ll pass on taking advice about Council matters from an administration already on its fourth round of deputy mayors,” she mentioned.
