Council Holds Hearing for Randy Mastro Appointment
Last Tuesday, New York City Council held a hearing for the nomination of Randy Mastro to Corporation Counsel. Mayor Adams nominated Mastro to the position, and he must be confirmed by the Council in order to serve as the City’s top lawyer. Many members of the Council have openly opposed Mastro’s nomination, and during the hearing, they critiqued his participation in Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral administration in the 1990s and his more recent private sector clients, including Chevron, opponents of an Upper West Side homeless shelter, and New Jersey’s lawsuit against congestion pricing. The Council is expected to vote on his nomination at its next Stated meeting on September 12.
Addition to Comptroller Race
Brooklyn State Senator Kevin Parker has filed paperwork to run for New York City Comptroller. According to the NYC Campaign Finance Board website, Parker has transitioned his campaign finance account to a committee for Comptroller. Earlier this month, Parker stated that he was exploring a run for Brooklyn Borough President. Other candidates for Comptroller include Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, and NYC Councilmember Justin Brannan, and incumbent Comptroller Brad Lander is running against Eric Adams in the mayoral primary next June.
City Unveils New Roadmap for Universal Pre-K and 3-K
Mayor Adams and the NYC Council announced an effort to strengthen early childhood education programs across the City, connecting families with more pre-K and 3-K seats. The plan, developed by a working group established in the FY25 budget, lays out steps to improve outreach and allocate more open seats for pre-K and 3-K. However, early childhood education advocates criticized the plan for lack of details. The plan includes several previously-announced initiatives from the Administration, including $5M to boost outreach in the city, reducing the waitlist for special education early childhood slots, and providing free extended hours for families in pre-K and 3-K.