The incoming Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, is set to officially take office on January 1st next year. According to multiple sources, Mamdani’s transition team has informed at least 179 current City Hall employees under Mayor Eric Adams’ administration that they will not continue in their roles under the new government. The affected individuals are primarily concentrated in politically appointed positions within the Mayor’s office and surrounding City Hall, as Mamdani’s team aims to establish a new team to implement their reform vision.
This personnel shuffle has raised eyebrows, as many of the notified employees hold politically appointed roles like Deputy Mayors, agency heads, community affairs staff, and high-ranking aides servicing at the behest of the Mayor. One employee, who had been working in City Hall for two years and in the Mayor’s office for less than a year, expressed disappointment after being informed of their termination by the end of the year.
The affected staff members revealed that their motivations for joining the city government were not necessarily tied to supporting Adams, but rather a desire to work in the public sector and uphold values they believed in. The upheaval caused by the notifications has left many feeling disheartened.
According to data from the New York City Comptroller’s Office, there are currently approximately 1,200 employees in the Mayor’s office, with this round of personnel adjustments affecting around one-seventh of the workforce.
In response to the widespread personnel restructuring, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s office, Fabien Levy, criticized the move as a “significant loss for New Yorkers,” stating that the new government should not let dedicated public servants who have long served the city become casualties of political maneuvering.
Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani’s transition team, asserted that these adjustments are part of the standard procedure for the transfer of mayoral power. She emphasized that the Mayor-elect and his transition team are working to construct a new framework for City Hall, appointing new members to key positions to effectively advance the administration’s goals.
It is customary for incoming Mayors to replace core staff and high-level appointees during the transition period, often steering clear of retaining the Deputy Mayors, communications officials, and a majority of politically appointed roles from the previous administration. While this practice is common, navigating the complexities of the city’s hiring process and positions requiring civil service exams can pose significant challenges during the transitional period.
Apart from the personnel adjustments, Mamdani has begun to unveil the structure of his new government. He has confirmed that Jessica Tisch will continue as the head of the New York City Police Department, crediting her leadership for a notable decrease in crime rates. His Chief of Staff will be Elle Bisgaard-Church, his campaign manager, and former First Deputy Mayor under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, Dean Fuleihan, will also be returning to City Hall.
Furthermore, Mamdani announced the appointment of over 400 city leaders to 17 transition committees responsible for providing personnel and policy recommendations. His core transition team includes officials from both the de Blasio and Adams administrations, indicating a balance the new government seeks between continuity and reform.
Mamdani recently disclosed that his transition team has received over 70,000 job applications. In a bid to increase civic engagement, he has established a platform for resume submissions, offering individuals from all backgrounds the opportunity to join the city government.