Speaker’s gavel stays in Queens
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Queens Councilmember Adrienne Adams was unanimously re-elected City Council speaker on Wednesday. John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
By Ryan Schwach
The gavel belonging to the speaker of the New York City Council will stay in Queens after South Queens representative Adrienne Adams was unanimously re-elected to the role.
Adams, who represents the 28th Council District, which includes the South Queens neighborhoods Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park, began her third and final term in the Council by being re-elected to serve as speaker for a second term on Wednesday.
Adams is the first Black councilmember to hold the title, and only the second councilmember from the borough of Queens to serve as speaker.
She oversaw the council during a turbulent year, which included managing the asylum seeker crisis, passing a massive and controversial city budget, outlining a roadmap for mental health care and squaring off with the mayor over housing and Rikers Island.
“Leading this historic City Council is the honor of a lifetime, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving New York City and our diverse communities,” said Adams on the floor of the council chambers on Wednesday. “I’m proud of the work we have accomplished together over the past two years to address long-standing issues through the lens of equity, and I look forward to building on this momentum to continue delivering for all.”
“I thank our returning members for their support and commitment, and I welcome our new members who bring their diverse experiences and expertise to this legislative body,” she added. “Together, this Council will continue to confront the challenges facing our city and make meaningful changes that prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of every New Yorker.”
Adams’ tenure speaker included the passing of the CityFHEPS bill package, which made it to law after the council overturned the veto from the mayor.
The council also passed Adams’ Fair Housing Framework Legislation, which establishes targeted housing production goals for each Community District in the city.
In 2023, the council under Adams also passed bills to regulate e-bikes in the city, the controversial No More Stops Act, a bill to ban solitary confinement and approved several affordable housing developments in the city.
The council’s budget under Adams for Fiscal Year 2024 also includes $4 billion in capital funding for affordable housing, a $46 million increase in support for legal service providers, including Right to Counsel and expanded eligibility for Fair Fares to serve more low-income New Yorkers.
The speaker has also clashed with the mayor over a number of issues, including the management of Rikers Island.
After criticizing the mayor’s management of the jail complex for much of her term, the pair of Bayside High School grads recently announced that they had joined to reappoint the Independent Rikers Commission, which will again meet to create a new plan to shutter Rikers Island.
In November, Adams was re-elected to serve her final term in the council, receiving 85 percent of the vote.
Also, Adams’ fellow South Queens Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers also retained her position as majority whip at the council’s first meeting of 2024 on Wednesday
