Some lawmakers, including two who are facing the mayor in the June Democratic primary in New York City, challenged his credibility and accomplishments.
Some lawmakers, including two who are facing the mayor in the June Democratic primary in New York City, challenged his credibility and accomplishments.
Some lawmakers, including two who are facing the mayor in the June Democratic primary in New York City, challenged his credibility and accomplishments.
Mayor Eric Adams took his seat in a State Capitol hearing room on Tuesday, ready to make his yearly pitch for New York City’s funding priorities.
Instead, over the course of nearly three hours, Mr. Adams was put on the defensive. One after another, political opponents lined up to bash him, his policies and the way he was running the city.
The mayor tried to allay concerns from elected officials that the city’s schools had seen attendance declines amid fears about immigration raids. He sparred with them over staffing at the Rikers Island jail complex, the location of shelters for migrants and homeless people, cuts to early childhood education, and subway safety.
The back and forth was part of what is informally known as Tin Cup Day, when local leaders extend a metaphorical tin cup as they ask state lawmakers to support their funding needs. But this year, the hearing with the mayor was far more combative, in part because of Mr. Adams’s status.
The mayor currently faces a five-count federal indictment, although Justice Department officials met last week to discuss dropping the charges, The New York Times reported.
The mayor, a Democrat, also faces a challenging re-election this year, with several rivals already in the race and a more prominent one, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, waiting in the wings. Three of Mr. Adams’s opponents serve in the State Legislature, and two had a chance to question him on Tuesday.
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