Forget scandals. Adams wants to write his own story.

Sep 16, 2024

Presented by

New York City Mayor Eric Adams releases the Fiscal Year 2024 Mayor’s Management Report.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams releases the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Mayor’s Management Report and update New Yorkers on city government operations at City Hall on Monday, September 16, 2024. | Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

PART-TIME AUTHOR, FULL-TIME MAYOR: Eric Adams is desperately trying to change the narrative, amid a pileup of scandals, arrests, resignations and FBI raids.

And so on Monday morning he gathered the city’s otherwise-occupied press corps in the rotunda of City Hall to reveal the findings of a rote municipal report that typically gets scant publicity from the mayor’s office, POLITICO reported today.

"I told the team we have to write our own narrative, because if we don’t show the success and we don’t have a person [here] who has benefited from what we’re doing, it just doesn’t seem to get covered,” Adams told reporters Monday morning.

“We don’t want to distract,” he added. “We want to have folks pay attention of how successful this administration has been.”

The Mayor’s Management Report — a charter-mandated compendium of agency statistics tracking ambulance response times, recycling rates and other barometers of municipal service — already readily receives media coverage.

The New York City mayor’s blunt admission of his communications strategy came just hours after federal prosecutors announced they had indicted two fire chiefs who served under Adams on an alleged corruption scheme. It was the latest in a swarm of scandals — arrests, resignations, FBI raids — that continue to engulf his administration.

“The strategy is we’re going to do lots of official shit and look mayoral,” said Chris Coffey, a Democratic political consultant who worked in former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration. “Is it going to work? Probably not. If the worst stuff has happened then yes, you have a shot at getting through this.”

So far this month, federal agents have raided the homes or seized the phones of at least five top city officials. The police commissioner was forced to resign as his twin brother is being probed in an alleged corruption scheme. The mayor announced late Saturday night that his top city lawyer quit — reportedly because he refused to follow her personnel advice. And City Hall fired an aide after NBC News reported that he was involved in a scheme to extort nightclub owners who were the target of scrupulous NYPD enforcement.

Adams’ Monday morning press conference was stated to be about the release of the lengthy annual performance report — the first time in recent years the analysis was accompanied by a press conference.

But the mayor did not deny that the press conference was part of a messaging strategy intended to shift focus away from the scandals.

“Why are we doing this?” he said, referring to the press conference. “We want New Yorkers to know this administration is working hard for them, and we're producing real results. And when things happen to the administration, the real question is, you have the ability to stay focused and provide the services that the city is expecting.”

“It's intentional to focus on this narrative so I can write my story,” the mayor also said. “Oftentimes history is someone else writing your story. I want to write my own story. And this story is how great we have done.” — Jason Beeferman

A message from Swedish Match:

WHAT IF SOMEONE’S ALMOST 21? IT’S STILL NO. OUR ACTIONS TO KEEP NICOTINE ONLY IN THE HANDS OF THOSE 21+ ARE ADDING UP. As the manufacturer of ZYN and other nicotine products, Swedish Match goes above and beyond to help keep our products accessible only to adult nicotine users 21+. Our comprehensive 10-point action plan covers responsible marketing, compliance, enforcement, and innovation. Our actions add up. See the actions we’re taking at 21plusresponsibly.com.

From the Capitol

Traffic traverses 42nd Street near Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Influential groups like the Real Estate Board of New York are pushing on Gov. Kathy Hochul to reverse her decision to indefinitely pause the congestion pricing toll program. | Mary Altaffer/AP

CONGESTED: More than a dozen advocacy organizations — including those that represent a wide swath of the political spectrum — released a five-page letter today that slammed Hochul’s decision to put the toll plan on “indefinite” pause earlier this June.

The letter, which was signed by a broad range of groups like Reinvent Albany, the Real Estate Board of New York, and the New York League of Conservation Voters, urged top lawmakers in the Legislature to press Hochul on the toll program.

And the groups detailed a laundry-list of concerns over the impact of the delay, including the effects on traffic, air pollution, the city’s economy and the need to upgrade the region’s creaky mass transit infrastructure.

“Leading cities around the world continue to build transit capacity and operate well-maintained systems, while increasingly emphasizing streets and public space for people over car dependence,” the groups wrote in the letter. “New York was on a strong path in this direction until the governor’s about-face on congestion pricing in June.”

Hochul announced in June the toll program — which would have charged drivers $15 when entering Manhattan below 60th Street — would not move forward as planned.

She has continuously cited concerns over the economy and the cost of living for New Yorkers as her reason for the pause. Voters supported the move.

But the delay also took effect amid concerns from House Democrats the controversial tolls would impact down-ballot races in the state, home to a half-dozen swing seats.

Hochul in August signaled in an interview with POLITICO that any replacement program would not be put before state lawmakers until the end of the year at the earliest — effectively punting debate over the specifics until after Election Day.

Still, Hochul has also said she wants a stable funding plan for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — one that will still provide money to pay for planned upgrades for the transit system.

“Gov. Hochul has stated repeatedly that she is committed to funding the MTA Capital Plan and is working with partners in government on funding mechanisms while congestion pricing is paused,” Hochul spokesperson John Lindsay said.

A report released by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli last week found a new federal approval process would have to begin if broad changes to the toll plan are approved by lawmakers and the governor. — Nick Reisman

A message from Swedish Match:

From City Hall

BY THE NUMBERS: Scandals aside, the Mayor’s Management Report is chock-full of information about city agencies and statistics.

This year, there was a 15 percent drop in murders, an 18 percent decline in shootings and a 10 percent jump in felony arrests, the report shows.

It also provided a snapshot of other data, like the fact that 20,000 illegal mopeds and scooters were seized this year and other transportation statistics. For instance, 27 percent more protected bike lanes were installed this year. There’s also been a 73 percent increase in bike parking spaces and a 94 percent rise in speed reducers.

But there’s also not-so-good news. Traffic deaths continue to rise with 275 people, and 118 pedestrians, killed in traffic this year. And assaults, robberies, car thefts and domestic violence are also on the rise. — Jason Beeferman

A message from Swedish Match:

RESPONSIBLE SOCIAL MEDIA IS PART OF OUR 10-POINT ACTION PLAN.
(SOCIAL MEDIA, WHAT’S YOUR PLAN?)

As the manufacturer of ZYN and other nicotine products, Swedish Match strives to ensure our products are accessible only to legal-age nicotine users. We believe social media needs to do its part too.

Our comprehensive 10-point action plan covers responsible marketing, compliance, enforcement, and innovation. We use age-verification systems like DoubleVerify to ensure our social media ads are only directed to adult nicotine users 21+. Additionally, we prohibit the use of social media influencers across our owned channels, and we routinely ask social platforms to take down inappropriate user-generated content.

Our actions add up. See the actions we’re taking at 21plusresponsibly.com.

IN OTHER NEWS...

— SIDEWALK SUMMONSES: The NYPD is increasingly ticketing street vendors, disrupting small, vulnerable businesses as officers try to enforce the law. (The New York Times)

— GRACIE MANSION RAPPING: Jordan Coleman, the hip-hop artist son of Eric Adams, spent this year’s September 11th recording music in Gracie Mansion. (New York Post)

— CELL PHONE BAN: Most city teachers would support a ban on student cell phones in school. (Gothamist)

Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.

Follow us on Twitter