Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live On PIX11’s “PIX11 Morning News”

April 25, 2024

Hazel Sanchez: Negotiations will get underway for the mayor's revised city budget, which restores funding to the police and fire departments, as well as schools.

Dan Mannarino: There is one glaring omission from the $111.6 billion budget, and that's funding for New York Public Libraries. The mayor, Eric Adams, joining us this morning from Gracie Mansion with more insight on his executive budget. 

Good morning to you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for being with us. 

Mayor Eric Adams: Good morning, good to see you and Hazel.

Mannarino: Let's get right into this, because your proposed budget includes funding for 1,200 more police recruits, brings back those pre-K programs, right? That is good news, but you kept the cuts for the libraries, and some libraries are saying, Mr. Mayor, that they'll need to go back down to five days a week, saying it'll severely impact vulnerable communities who need services the most. Did you not see it as a priority? Why not bring back some funding for the libraries?

Mayor Adams: It is, because our libraries, which have really evolved to a very important asset, so many things are taking place in our libraries, and I used them so much as a child. This is the negotiation part of it, and the City Council's going to come with their priorities, we're going to come with ours, and we're going to get to a meeting where we're going to shake hands, and I'm looking forward to the conversation with the speaker. We understand the importance of libraries in our city, and this is really part of what this process is about.

Sanchez: Is the city, though, legally obligated to cover operating expenses? There's that agreement from 1901 that endowments are used for certain programs?

Mayor Adams: Yes, and no, it's really interesting when you look at it. We need to really maybe even examine how a city libraries should fit into our budget. We have various systems throughout the entire city, and that is part of the conversations. 

Now, we had all of our entities do PEGS. We didn't tell them how to do them. The determination was not made by us to not have Saturdays or Sunday service. That was a determination made by the library. We want to be clear on that. As I stated, this is part of the negotiation process. The final product, the cake will be baked, and everyone will be pleased at the end of the conclusion. I'm looking forward to speaking with the speaker as we move forward. 

Mannarino: There is a possibility that is not a final determination. There could be money brought back.

Mayor Adams: Everything is possible in the great City of New York. When you can go from working in a mailroom to becoming a mayor, dreams come true in New York City.

Mannarino: Okay, Mr. Mayor, so let's talk about this, because you did restore 2.3 billion from your initial budget proposal. There was a statement put out by the City Council Speaker Adrienbe Adams, and City Council Finance Chair Justin Brennan. They had this to say, okay, saying, it sounds like they're going to try and restore even more funding. 

Do you think these budget negotiations, I'm sorry, they're saying the mayor's executive budget begins to reverse a fraction of previous cuts that have proven harmful to our city's stability and were necessary in the context of our resilient economy. When you hear that, it sounds like they're going to try and restore even more funding, and that goes down to the negotiations you're talking about. How do you see it playing out?

Mayor Adams: I think that all you have to look at is look at the independent budget observers, independent financial observers. There's a reason they raised our bonds when I became the mayor in 2022. We made smart choices with over $7 billion in savings. We have one of the largest rainy-day funds and emergency funds in the city's history. We have stabilized this economy and city. We have more jobs in the city, in the city history. 

We had to revitalize our economy, get through Covid, and deal with 191[thousand] migrant and asylum seekers, and it took smart, budgetary decision. Because we did what we did in the beginning, we're in a place right now where we can deal with some of those fiscal cliffs we were facing.

Sanchez: What about universal pre-K, though? You're removing 15,000 seats. Can you ensure that there's going to be a seat for every child who needs it or wants one?

Mayor Adams: Hazel, great question. Here's what we were doing in the city. We were running around previously talking about how large our pre-K program was, but you know what? We had 23,000 empty seats, 23,000 empty seats. I made it clear, every child that wants a seat will have access to a seat, but we have to do our part. 

We're allocating close to $5 billion, $5 million, to go into communities and educate parents why these pre-K program's [are] so important. That was not done before. Hats off to the City Council for seeing the importance of doing that. The goal is not only to have the program, but the program is successful when we place children in the program and not just waste taxpayers' dollars.

Mannarino: All right, so you cut 15,000 seats next year. All of a sudden, there's people more than that want to actually apply for the pre-K, even though you're saying that they didn't fill it when it was 23,000. Will you make sure that they have a seat, even though you're cutting some?

Mayor Adams: I cannot say it any clearer. I said it three times in my budget presentation. Every child that desires a seat will have access to a seat.

Sanchez: Now let's turn to the city's response to the student protests that have been going on here. They're sending police and riot gear to NYU, to Columbia. Do you think that was the right decision, or do you think we need to come up with a better way to de-escalate those tensions out there?

Mayor Adams: Let's look at it for a moment. When we were at NYU, what happened? I looked at a helmet of a police officer that was dented. Thank God he had that helmet on. We saw during the Black Lives Matter marches that there are outside agitators, that they look for these protests, not only in New York, all over the country, and they come in and they attempt to agitate. I think peaceful protest is part of the cornerstone of America. 

I protested during the South Africa call to dismantle apartheid. We stayed focused on agenda. I think it's disgusting when you celebrate Hamas, which is a murderous terrorist organization, and I think it's disgusting when you call for the destruction of any community in the city. 

We have no room for hate in the city, and if colleges call us to take down encampments, we're going to follow the rules and follow the law and listen and respond to their calls. We can protest without being destructive in the terminology, the hateful things that I've heard.

Mannarino: Okay, Mr. Mayor, I want to talk to you about some reported leadership changes, particularly at the Civilian Complaint Review Board. 

Did you ask, or did somebody in your administration ask Chairwoman Arva Rice to step down, and do you have somebody in mind to take over the CCRB? If all that did happen, why?

Mayor Adams: I'm so glad you asked this question, Dan. I want to be clear, and I communicated directly to Ms. Rice and told her she does not have to leave the CCRB board. 

Regardless of what you're hearing, and other tabloids, I communicated directly with her, and I told her to share with me, let me know. Now, I have been making leadership changes. We're two years, over two years into an administration. I've been shifting people around. I've been making changes, and that is something that I have to do based on my powers. 

Keep in mind, no matter who's the chair, it has to be a dual agreement by the City Council and the mayor. Making these movements throughout my administration, this is what you do when you get to the halfway point.

Mannarino: You said to her she could stay on the board, but you didn't want her in that leadership role. Why was that? Was she not performing the way you wanted her to?

Mayor Adams: Think about it. Ms. Rice was appointed on the board from previous administration. Should a mayor, even when you have someone to hold over, should a mayor and a City Council or whomever, should they decide who's going to be the chair and the leadership? 

You just don't automatically state, after two years, I think she brings a wealth of knowledge and opportunity. Shouldn't I make the determination who's in a leadership position as the next mayors will make that determination? That is how this is done. You pick the chairs that you want to make the leadership changes that you want.

Sanchez: All right, and speaking of staff changes, you're looking to bring back a pretty familiar face to City Hall, Randy Mastro. He's your pick to be the city's next top lord, but he has to be confirmed by the City Council, and more than half of them are opposed. If that's the case and they don't approve it, do you have a plan B?

Mayor Adams: In New York, you better have a plan Z. Let's be clear, I did not make any formal announcements on who we're going to look to put in place as corporation counsel. That has not been done. There's a lot of speculation. 

When you look at the record of Randy Mastro, he has been a good and great citizen and lawmaker. What he has done around protecting the rights of Black Lives Matter, what he has done in some of the good government groups, he comes with a reputation that we don't all agree on clients that lawyers represent, but lawyers should not be demonized because of their clients because they have a responsibility in this country, a city of due process, and everyone deserves the right to have a good attorney.

Mannarino: Yes, I know you're saying he didn't make a formal announcement, but Ingrid Lewis-Martin said he was being considered right here on Pix on Politics. She said that he was being looked at for that position. If he is being looked at, and you're already getting pushback from the City Council, there is a report that you had a conversation with Adrienne Adams over the weekend that she doesn't want him. Will you continue to pursue him, or is there another name?

Mayor Adams: Listen, my chief advisor was clear. Ingrid said he's being looked at. We've looked at many names. When you go through this process, that's what you do. You look at names. You vet names. You have conversations. One thing I do know about the speaker, she's going to allow the process to go forward. 

I think it's important for any candidate we put forward to sit down and communicate, sell themselves to whomever is going to look over them, and then make the final determination. That is not my role. The City Council has its role. I have my role. My role is to present candidates, and I do not take it as an affront if my candidates are grilled, no matter who I pick.

Sanchez: Just real quickly, Mr. Mayor, Knicks, Phillies, do you have a wager with the mayor over there?

Mayor Adams: I'm going to call and tell them we have a great vegan hamburger that I will play them. Aren't they hot? It's an exciting festival in New York. That three-pointer was unbelievable. This is what really excites New York. I've got to get at least one ring. 

Mannarino: There you go. All right, Mr. Mayor, always good to see you. Thanks for coming on. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you.