Despite suspicion that City Hall will enjoy a chummy relationship with City Council, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pick for chief of the city's investigations agency was grilled today by Council members.

Mark Peters, the mayor's nominee for Department of Investigations commissioner, spent three hours before the Council's Rules Committee. For much of that time, he fielded questions about his role as de Blasio's campaign treasurer and whether that would interfere with the agency's mandate to investigate waste, fraud and corruption in city government — as well as in the mayor's office. 

Peters argued that he has a successful track record operating watchdog agencies despite close relationships with elected leaders. He previously served as head of the state's Public Integrity Commission under former Gov. David Paterson, whom Peters said was a close friend before his appointment.

Almost every Council member questioned Peters' ties to de Blasio. Councilman Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn said he was particularly concerned that Peters was still serving as Blasio’s campaign manager a week before the mayor nominated him to the DOI.

"What do I tell my constituents about the appearance of partiality with someone who hasn't even been gone for 30 days from a pretty high-level position in the de Blasio administration?" Williams asked, adding concern about setting a precedent for future administrations.

Manhattan Councilman Dan Garodnick asked Peters whether he would recuse himself in the event that the mayor's office needed to be investigated. Peters responded that he couldn't imagine a situation in which he would need to step down from an investigation into the de Blasio administration. 

Garodnick shot back with a possible scenario in which the investigation focused on the mayor's campaign finances. Peters conceded he would need to recuse himself in such a situation, adding that such a hypothetical was unlikely to occur.

Queens Councilman Rory Lancman was dissatisfied with Peters' response to questions about his ties to the mayor and asked the nominee if there was a particular dollar amount that would prompt his recusal if the agency needed to investigate a de Blasio campaign contributor. Peters responded that he wouldn't know and that it would be a more relevant conflict of interest if he were being appointed to the city's Campaign Finance Board.

Councilman Brad Lander of Queens, the committee chairman, asked Peters for his thoughts on the appointment of an inspector general for the New York Police Department, a position created by a controversial bill Lander and Williams co-sponsored last year. Former DOI Commissioner Rose Gil Hearn opposed the bill.

"I fully supported it then and fully support it now," Peters said.

Williams asked Peters what role the de Blasio administration would play in picking the Police Department's first inspector general, who would need to be in place by April 21. Peters said de Blasio would play a "significant role" in the search. The mayor recently reiterated his pledge to institute an independent NYPD inspector general and indicated Police Commissioner Bill Bratton would also play a role in the IG's appointment.

Peters eventually walked back his answer, saying that the mayor's input would be important.

Citizens Union Executive Director Dick Dadey testified in support of Peter's nomination while acknowledging that the members' questions about Peters' ties to the mayor were justified. The Gotham Gazette is a sister organization of Citizen's Union.

"Mr. Peter’s role in the campaign of the Mayor de Blasio as his treasurer is well known, and will undoubtedly bring additional scrutiny to his leadership and decisions at the DOI, as it should," Dadey testified. "Citizens Union believes that city employees should be hired because of what they know, not who they know."

The Council is expected to vote on the nomination on Feb. 4.

New York City workers expect two recent developments will end their long fight for new contracts and salary increases: the emergence of a hefty surplus in the city budget and the election of a progressive mayor.

That was the assessment of several labor leaders and municipal officials who met yesterday at New York Law School for a panel discussion on what Mayor Bill de Blasio should learn from the stalemated negotiations of his predecessor and what his plan of action should be moving forward.

The discussion, moderated by Dick Dadey of the watchdog group Citizens Union, also focused on the need for civil service reform.

Panelist Ronnie Lowenstein, director of the city’s Independent Budget Office, noted that the city’s budget surplus is higher than expected, and will likely continue to grow.

“This year, in a sense, we had a surplus surplus,” she said. “We have more than we need to bring next year into balance.”

But she warned against getting too excited about the surplus, as none of the city’s union has a contract and the money will certainly find a home.

Still, all the panelists agreed that if anyone is going to make a deal that satisfies the unions, the workers and the city agencies, it’s de Blasio.

“That’s as good as they’re going to get,” said panelist Michael Jacobson, director of CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance.

After more than a decade under the Bloomberg administration, many New Yorkers are hopeful that de Blasio will usher in the change he promised on the campaign. At the top of that list are de Blasio’s promises to eliminate the “tale of two cities” and to establish a universal pre-kindergarten program, but some think the city’s need for civil service reform should also be a priority.

The last time there was any significant changes made to the city’s civil service system was during the fiscal crisis in the mid-1960s, Dadey said.

“There was no Internet then, there was no Twitter,” added Carol Kellermann, president of the Citizens Budget Commission. “We have a much more transparent system now. There is still nepotism, but this is not Tammany Hall.”

The Bloomberg administration issued a report in early 2011 that recommended changes to the civil service system. It was quickly rebutted by the Municipal Labor Committee, which issued its own report detailing the detrimental effects those changes would have on the city.

"Change like this is often stalled by complicated politics, but we believe that conversation is essential," Dadey said.

Representatives from the city’s unions spoke freely about their grievances with the Bloomberg administration and their hopes for the future during the forum.

The city’s teachers union, which has 94,000 members, has not had a raise in almost five years and the union’s President Michael Mulgrew said his members are owed more than $3.2 billion in back wages.

Henry Garrido of the municipal employee union DC 37 said he hears a lot of talk about contracts for teachers and firefighters, but that his union’s interests are quite diverse, as he represents people who have more than 1,000 different job titles including 121,000 members and 60,000 retirees.

“Civil service is the anecdote to nepotism,” which Garrido said is alive and well in the city workplace.

What ignited the most contention during the panel discussion was the idea of building trust between city workers, managers and local and state government agencies.

It is common for the city to use outside contractors to fix machines or systemic problems at an agency. But that fosters a bad environment for the workers because the outside contractors generally leave after a few years without training the city employees, who are then unable to properly operate the new equipment, union representatives say.

"For us, we are not just government workers, we are citizens,” said Arthur Cheliotes of the public sector workers union Local 1180. “We take pride in what we do and we haven't been treated like we do anything worth while.”

Jacobson struck a cord with some of the audience members from Local 1180 when he described how he transformed the city’s probation department in 1992 when he was the commissioner. The year he took office, the probation department was informed that it would be facing a major budget cut in the next year.

Jacobson said he quickly realized that a year wasn’t much time to restructure an entire bureaucracy. He knew he had to get the workforce on his side, but there had been a quick turnover rate for his position and no one had any reason to trust him.

Other department heads facing similar situations offered Jacobson advice: “it has to be staff, not managers” who restructure the agency and reimagine how to do their jobs.

“The workers are the ones that do the job and they would know where to cut the waste,” said Gina Strickland, a member of Local 1180 who was in the audience.

Negotiating contracts and back pay are both important to Garrido and Cheliotes, but their union members’ also are worried about obscure job titles and inefficient performance evaluations.

Before ending the two-hour long discussion, Dadey posed a question to the panelists: what are the top two things to improve the workforce that would benefit city government and the worker?

Garrido mentioned fairness, although it is hard to measure, and less burdensome administrative requirements. Cheliotes said improving city government is a matter of offering its employees more money and more opportunity.

“City workers need a raise,” he said, adding that there needs to be a clearer pathway for them to find a way to move up the job ladder.

Engaging in the political tradition of rewarding friends and punishing foes, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito last week doled out coveted committee chairmanships and leadership roles – and the $390,000 in stipends for the positions.

With 44 committees and subcommittees, some Council members are spread across as many as seven panels.

Kenneth Sherrill, a Hunter College professor emeritus of political science, counts himself among those who suggest that committee overload is counterproductive to good governance.

"You want committee members to become specialists in the areas over which the committee has jurisdiction," he said. "This is critical to the oversight function, yet specialization is almost impossible with the proliferation of committees."

The committee appointments come after a heated race for speaker, one that effectively shifted political clout typically wielded by county bosses. Mark-Viverito's win — boosted by a Brooklyn coalition and a Progressive bloc — paid dividends for her allies. Sixteen committee chairmanships went to her Brooklyn supporters, including the vaunted Land Use Committee now under Councilman David Greenfield.

Another major post, Finance Committee chairman, went to Queens Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, who bucked her county leadership to support her fellow Progressive Caucus member.

The same can be said of new Councilman Ritchie Torres of the Bronx, an early supporter of Mark-Viverito who also broke away the now weakened Bronx Democratic leadership. Torres landed a deputy leader spot — one of seven — and chairmanship of the Public Housing Committee.

He and 18 other freshmen quickly moved up the ranks to committee chairs, including Bronx Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson to the Public Safety Committee, Manhattan Councilman Ben Kallos to the Government Operations Committee and Corey Johnson of Manhattan to the Health Committee.

Mark-Viverito, who fended off members' concerns about racial diversity after the appointments were announced, also included former speaker rivals James Vacca and Dan Garodnick to leadership spots, joining Torres as deputy leaders. There are 21 black, latino and Asian Council members serving as chairs. Five of the six LGBT Council members are also in charge of committees. There are 12 women in leadership positions, with two noticeable exceptions.

Rosie Mendez of Manhattan formerly served as chair of Public Housing, and Bronx Councilwoman Annabel Palma lost her chairmanship of the General Welfare Committee. The only other two members without a chairmanship were Andy King of the Bronx and Rory Lancman of Queens.

Palma's loss is particularly seen as a political slight. A last-minute hold-out for Garodnick ahead of the vote that installed Mark-Viverito as speaker, Palma was the only former speaker candidate denied a committee chair. She remains on the General Welfare Committee, as well as on five other committees.

While most members are serving on between five or six cmmittees, Brooklyn Councilman Steve Levin is serving on seven, replacing Palma as chair of the General Welfare Committee. Also serving on seven different committees are: Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz and Donovan Richards of Queens; Rafael Espinal, Jumaane Williams, Antonio Reynoso and Inez Barron of Brooklyn; and Torres of the Bronx. Counting Garodnick's appointment to a land use subcommittee, he technically sits on eight panels.

Members get a stipend for chairing a committee, but not for serving on one. Nonetheless, Sherrill questions the motivation behind having so many committees and chairpersons. Each member already receives $112,500 in a yearly salary.Committee leadership comes with perks in the form of stipends, or lulus. The smallest lulus are $8,000; the largest goes to the speaker, who gets $25,000.

"Certainly, when almost every member chairs a committee or subcommittee, you wonder about how often committees or subcommittees are created for the purpose on enhancing members' standards of living," Sherrill said.

Click on individal committees below to review their activities and their newest members:

{slidetoggle=Committee on Aging}One of the Council's low-profile committees, it's charged with responding to the needs of the city's growing senior population. The most recent bill passed by the committee occurred in 2010 and created an alert program to help locate missing seniors with cognitive impairments. The committee has, however, played a part in preserving and restoring budget cuts to senior programs.

Margaret Chin, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Arroyo, Koslowitz, Rose, Deutsch, Treyger, Vallone (Subcommittee on Senior Centers chair){/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Civil Rights}The committee recently made headlines for its hearings on "stop and frisk," and for passing two bills last year. One of the laws bans employment discrimination against pregnant women and new mothers. The committee also championed a controversial bill banning discrimination due to unemployment status, which was adopted after the Council overrode a veto by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Darlene Mealy, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Eugene, Dromm, Rose, King{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Civil Service and Labor}The first committee to introduce legislation under the new Council. Last session's iteration passed the long-debated paid sick leave legislation, approved after years of negotiations that resulted in a compromised bill. The new proposal would mostly restore the bill to what it looked like before former Speaker Christine Quinn released the watered-down version last March.

I. Daneek Miller, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Crowley, Dromm, Constantinides, Cornegy{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Community Development}In the past term, the committee passed a single bill: a law requiring the mayor to submit an annual report on poverty. Enacted days before Bill de Blasio was inaugurated, it presciently set the tone for the relationship between the new Council and a mayor promising to eliminate the "Tale of Two Cities."

Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Palma, Crowley, King, Gibson, Maisel, Rosenthal{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Consumer Affairs}The previous incarnation of the committee was a busy one: it passed 27 bills in Quinn's final term as speaker. Among the legislation enacted were various bills on sidewalk vending — including the reduction of maximum fines for vending violations — as well as the famous brunch bill.

Rafael Espinal, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Gentile, Ferreras, Koslowitz, Lancman{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Contracts}It collaborates with city agencies on reviews of city procurement policies and procedures. It also oversees government and Mayor's Office contracts. Recent legislation includes a landmark living wage law applying to workers on development projects receiving subsidies from the city — which the previous administration took to court and lost last year.

Helen Rosenthal, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Koo, Wills, Constantinides, Deutsch, Johnson, Miller{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations}The committee recently passed a bill requiring some agencies to promote library cards. Yet the committee had an important role in during the oft-frustrating budget dance between the mayor and Council, since libraries were usually one of the first items to be cut. The new Council is largely committed to avoiding that dance given its new political ally in Gracie Mansion.

Jimmy Van Bramer, Chair | Stipend: $20,000
Crowley, Ferreras, Koo, Levin, King, Constantinides (Subcommittee on Libraries chair), Cumbo, Rosenthal{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Economic Development}Tasked with working with the city's Economic Development Corporation and administration's Department of Small Business Services, the committee was quiet on the legislative front last session. Nonetheless, the committee will likely continue addressing workforce development issues and looking at the impact of city-subsidized projects.

Dan Garodnick, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Gentile, Ferreras, Koslowitz, Weprin, Wills, Richards, Barron, Miller{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Education}The committee passed numerous bills during the last session — including new legislation to track arts education funding — but the number of laws passed belies the role the committee plays in the city's ongoing conversation on education. The new crop of committee members will likely collaborate with the administration on any number of reforms, including pre-K expansion, testing reform and a diversified curriculum.

Daniel Dromm, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Gentile, Garodnick, Chin, Levin, Rose, Weprin, Williams, King, Barron, Deutsch (Subcommittee on Non-Public Schools chair), Levine, Maisel, Reynoso, Treyger{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Environmental Protection}With 15 bills passed in the previous session, the committee's legislative record includes a wide spectrum of bills on the city's use of natural resources. Laws passed include the fuel economy of the city's fleet of vehicles and studies relating to climate change adaptation.

Donovan Richards, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Levin, Constantinides, Lancman, Ulrich{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Finance}Seen as one of the more powerful committees, the members lead the Council through the yearly budget process. The committee directly works with a litany of city agencies, including the comptroller's Office, Department of Finance and Independent Budget Office. Bills relating to business improvement districts, fees and taxes go through the committee.

Julissa Ferreras, Chair | Stipend: $15,000 
Rodriguez, Van Bramer, Gibson, Cornegy, Cumbo, Johnson, Levine, Miller, Rosenthal, Ignizio{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services}One of the few committees to retain its chair, the previous version of the committee recently passed a bill requiring the reporting of response times for emergency services. While the Public Safety Committee deals with police, this group focuses on the city's Fire Department and EMS, as well as the Probation and Corrections departments.

Elizabeth Crowley, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Eugene, Cabrera, Lancman, Vallone{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on General Welfare}Almost every major social service agency in the city works with the General Welfare committee, including the Human Resources Administration, Administration for Children's Services and the Department of Homeless Services. Expect the committee to become more high-profile, given the new administration's focus on working with the city's most vulnerable residents. Previous incarnations dealt with food security and public assistance access, and working with agencies on finding housing for Sandy victims.

Steve Levin, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Palma, Cabrera, Wills, Richards, Gibson, Johnson, Menchaca, Torres{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Governmental Operations}Many of the last Council's bills relating to the much-maligned Board of Elections come through the committee, including last year's unsuccessful attempt at reforming runoff elections. The committee also shares jurisdictions with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Tax Commission, Board of Standards and Appeals and the Campaign Finance Board. Previous bills include the whistleblower protection law as well as various mandates for public statistics on hate crimes and domestic violence.

Ben Kallos, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Greenfield, Levine, Torres, Matteo{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Health}Looking over the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Health and Hospitals Corporation and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the most recent slate of committee members instituted new oversight measures over the medical examiner after reports of mishandled evidence. One of the busier committees, it was behind the previous Council's controversial ban on electronic cigarettes days ahead of the new administration's first day.

Corey Johnson, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Arroyo, Mendez, Eugene, Koo, Van Bramer, Barron, Cornegy, Espinal{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Higher Education}The committee the source of the Council's support for the New York State DREAM ACT, having passed multiple resolutions on the proposed law in Albany. It's also where the City University of New York, which boasts some 270,000 students, comes every year to fight for its budget.

Inez Barron, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Vacca, Cabrera, Williams, Cumbo{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Housing and Buildings}The Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Department of Buildings both fall under the committee's oversight, as do citywide concerns about rent regulation and affordability. Frequently convening, the committee passed numerous bills post-Sandy, such as new building requirements, temporary waivers to speed up rebuilding and adoption of new flood maps.

Jumaane Williams, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Mendez, Rodriguez, Koslowitz, Cornegy, Espinal, Levine, Reynoso, Rosenthal, Torres, Ulrich{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Immigration}New York might be a city of immigrants, but the committee hasn't had much legislative clout in previous years, given that so much immigration policy rests at the state and federal level. Even so, it met 46 times last session, pushing resolutions in support of the DREAM Act and an unsuccessful bill to give non-citizens the right to vote in local elections — which the new mayor opposes.

Carlos Menchaca, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Eugene, Dromm, Koo, Espinal{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Juvenile Justice}The committee's oversight is limited to the Department of Juvenile Justice, often working with the other agencies including ACS to track young offenders. While it hosts a number of oversight meetings on many topics, it also passed a bill that would better track demographic data on those in juvenile facilities.

Fernando Cabrera, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Arroyo, Vacca, Barron, Lancman{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Land Use}Often regarded as one of the two most powerful committees, all of the city's proposals for development and city planning go through its members. It oversees a range of items, including zoning applications for both residential and commercial developments. It also happens to boast the most number of subcommittees and, therefore, members.

David Greenfield, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Palma, Arroyo, Dickens, Garodnick, Mealy, Mendez, Rodriguez, Koo, Lander, Levin, Weprin, Williams, Richards, Barron, Cohen, Kallos, Reynoso, Torres, Treyger, Ignizio

Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses
Peter Koo, Chair
Palma, Arroyo, Mendez, Levin, Barron, Kallos

Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions
Inez Dickens, Chair
Mealy, Rodriguez, Cohen, Treyger

Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises
Mark Weprin, Chair
Garodnick, Williams, Richards, Reynoso, Torres, Ignizio{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Mental Health, Developmental Disability, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services}The committee shares some jurisdiction with the health committee, collaborating more with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. It rarely meets on its own, its work mostly consisting of resolutions and oversight.

Andrew Cohen, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Crowley, Wills (Subcommittee on Drug Abuse chair), Johnson, Vallone{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Oversight and Investigations}A relatively quiet group, it mostly collaborates and meets with other committees. The 2011 rules gave it a broad, ambiguous mandate: "to investigate any matters within the jurisdiction of the Council relating to property, affairs or government of New York City, and the Department of Investigation."

Vincent Gentile, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Dickens, Dromm, Constantinides, Deutsch, Lancman, Rosenthal{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Parks and Recreation}Every one of the numerous street re-namings proposed by Council members comes through this committee, which has also launched oversight meetings on how to work with conservancies tied to any number of parks and the distribution of capital funding to green spaces.

Mark Levine, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Mealy, Cabrera, Van Bramer, Cohen, Maisel, Treyger{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Public Housing}Given that the city is home to the largest public housing authority in the country, the committee will continue to oversee NYCHA's activities. The last Council battled the previous administration's support for market-rate, mixed-use development on public housing properties.

Ritchie Torres, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Mendez, Van Bramer, Richards, Cumbo{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Public Safety}The committee's purview is a broad one, working with the NYPD, district attorneys, the Civilian Complaint Review Board and and Office of Emergency Management Department, among others. Recent laws include improving emergency and police response during such crises as Superstorm Sandy's aftermath. Its members will likely play a role in pursuing the administration's promise to reform stop-and-frisk and improve community relations between residents and the police force.

Vanessa Gibson, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Gentile, Vacca, Ferreras, Williams, Cornegy, Deutsch, Espinal, Lancman, Torres, Matteo{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Recovery and Resiliency}A new committee for the Council, it is committed to examining the ongoing impact of Superstorm Sandy and how the city can prepare for future storms. The new administration has long hailed the Bloomberg-era PlaNYC, which called for "a stronger, more resilient New York."

Mark Treyger, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Mendez, Chin, Richards, Menchaca, Ulrich, Matteo{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections}The only committee to have officially met during the Council's first month so as to make committee appointments, it is slated to debate a package of reforms proposed last fall. The package already boasts a majority of Council members' support, all of whom asking for a more fair and transparent member items system and an expanded participatory budgeting program.

Brad Lander, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Dickens, Garodnick, Rodriguez, Chin, Rose, Williams, Espinal, Levine, Ignizio, Mark-Viverito{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management}Not the most glamorous committee on its face, it passed some of the Bloomberg administration's landmark recycling programs, including a recent pilot program for composting and a year-long review into whether or not the city can recycle polystyrene materials. Old bills that might see new life include a look at waste truck capacity for vehicles passing through neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by waste stations.

Antonio Reynoso, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
King, Gibson, Constantinides, Matteo{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Small Business}The Committee on Economic Development has traditionally been the Council's first point of contact for the Department of Small Business, leaving the Committee on Small Business to interface with what the 2011 Council rules described as "retail business and emerging industries."

Robert Cornegy, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Dickens, Eugene, Koo, Koslowitz, Wills, Menchaca, Vallone, Ulrich{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Standards and Ethics}Sharing jurisdictions with the city's Conflicts of Interest Board, it most recently played a hand in the Council's reaction to ethics questions resulting from the federal investigation into former Councilman Dan Halloran of Queens.

Alan Maisel, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Ferreras, Lander, Menchaca, Ignizio{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on State and Federal Legislation}Lacking the prestige that some committees wield, most of its business is limited to passing resolutions relating to bills in Congress and the state legislature. It also previously had purview over home rule requests. Given the new administration's expected struggles with Albany, it's unclear what role the committee might play in City Hall's broader agenda.

Karen Koslowitz, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Dickens, Lander, Espinal, Kallos, Maisel, Reynoso{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Technology}Expect the committee to devote attention to the new laws mandating the webcasting of agency hearings and landmark open-data legislation requiring that city agencies publish raw statistics through a centralized city website. The open data law went into effect last year, but few agencies complied with the deadlines, leaving the new committee to reevaluate its commitment to the bill.

James Vacca, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Palma, Weprin, Greenfield, Matteo{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Transportation} Forty-four bills went through the committee last session, ranging from traffic calming initiatives to municipal meters to bike lanes. With the mayor's heightened focus on the Vision Zero campaign to reduce if not eliminate traffic related deaths and accidents, the committee is sure to play role in the conversation as it works with the Department of Transportation and Taxi and Limousine Commission, among others.

Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Garodnick, Vacca, Chin, Levin, Rose, Van Bramer, Weprin, Greenfield, Constantinides, Menchaca, Miller, Reynoso{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Veterans}New York is home to as many as 300,000 veterans, with about 16,600 back from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Facing issues that include a backlog of government benefits and veteran homelessness, the previous committee passed laws relating to work and employment resources for veterans.

Eric Ulrich, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Cabrera, Cohen, Maisel, Vallone{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Waterfronts}Tasked with oversight of the city's waterways, the committee last year passed three bills addressing the preservation and upkeep of New York City's waterfronts. Barely a year since Superstorm Sandy struck, the committee will likely play a part in the ongoing talks regarding resiliency.

Deborah Rose, Chair | Stipend: $15,000
Garodnick, Deutsch, Johnson, Vallone{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Women's Issues}Members passed one celebrated bill last session: a ban on deceptive practices at the city's pregnancy centers. Often meeting in coordination with the committees on General Welfare and Health, the committee got some attention in recent years for passing a resolution asking the Village Voice to end its relationship with its classified ads site following accusations that the ads promoted sex trafficking.

Laurie Cumbo, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Mealy, Crowley, Koslowitz, Kallos{/slidetoggle}

{slidetoggle=Committee on Youth Services}The most recent version of the committee dealt with issues such as youth homelessness and child exploitation. Most of its sway typically came during the budget process, when members fought to restore cuts to after school and anti-homelessness programs for young New Yorkers.

Mathieu Eugene, Chair | Stipend: $8,000
Palma, Mealy, Chin, Greenfield, King, Cumbo{/slidetoggle}

____

Photo courtesy of William Alatriste/NYC City Council.

Hours ahead of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget announcement, Mayor Bill de Blasio reiterated his promise to tax wealthier New Yorkers as a means to pay for his universal pre-kindergarten plan.

The mayor said that news of Gov. Cuomo's own proposal for pre-K programs was heartening and called the focus on early childhood education "something very positive." 

De Blasio argued that there is a growing consensus, both in New York State and nationally, on improving early childhood education. He pointed to his November win, which he referred to as a mandate, as evidence of this groundswell of opinion, as well as various polls showing support for his pre-K plan.

"The discussion from day one, when I put forth the proposal 16 months ago almost, it has had seemingly consistent popular support," de Blasio said today. "It was arguably the No. 1 proposal that I put forth in the election that I won with 73 percent of the vote. I think the jury has come back. I think the jury is in."

The mayor said he welcomes any improvements in education, but intends to remain focused on fighting for his own vision. He acknowledged that his pre-K plan needs the support of some state lawmakers who face reelection and might be pressured to withhold their support.

"The people of this city have given me a mission,” he said. “They entrusted me with a mission to this fight. I don't worry about inside baseball, I don't worry about political prognostication."

De Blasio added that the six-member group of advisers tasked with evaluating the pre-K rollout would be formed "in a matter of days." One of the group's priorities remains maximizing the number of seats available for pre-K pupils as early as September, the mayor said.

In its current shape, De Blasio's plan would increase taxes on New Yorkers earning $500,000 or more and cost the city about $340 million over five years. Polling numbers released as recently as Thursday show that 74 percent of New Yorkers support the plan. Yet de Blasio's proposal is entirely contingent on approval by Albany.

Cuomo's budget calls for full-day pre-K across the state, with $1.5 billion committed statewide to the program for the next five years. It would also create a stronger regulatory system to oversee classroom quality. The governor's proposal is a part of his broader plan to cut taxes while generating a surplus, the mechanics of which will be debated over the coming weeks.

The biggest difference between the two pre-K plans remains the reliability of the revenue stream. De Blasio argues that his plan doesn’t rely on yearly shifts in budget priorities and instead promises consistent funding through increased taxes on wealthier New Yorkers.

For weeks, de Blasio has fielded questions about how he can reconcile his campaign promise with a governor and a divided legislature keen on cutting taxes. He remained optimistic today.

"Things that have been regarded impossible one day are suddenly possible," the mayor said. "So I have a mandate from the people to pursue this plan. I'm going to pursue this plan."

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Photo credit: Rob Bennett/NYC Mayor's Office

Backed by a retinue of political allies, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the first major plank of his progressive agenda today with a proposal to broaden the controversial paid sick leave law passed last year by the City Council.

The mayor framed the proposed bill's importance with the Dickensian flair from his election campaign.

"We talked a lot about the 'Tale of Two Cities.' Our goal is to create one city where everyone can rise together," he said. "And this is one of the steps we have to take to make that possible. And the time to act is now."

De Blasio described the proposal as "the dramatic expansion" of paid sick leave legislation, which was scaled back last year to quell the business community's concerns that it would create an economic burden.

Standing in front of a small Ecuadorian restaurant in Bushwick, the mayor said the bill would build on a compromised version passed last year. That bill is slated to take effect in April unless it is superceded by the mayor's proposal.

De Blasio was joined at the podium by new Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Public Advocate Letitia James, Comptroller Scott Stringer and a bevy of local, state and federal legislators.

The elected leaders stood in front of a block-spanning banner proclaiming "One New York Rising Together." Local supporters and passersby crowded the event and the block across the street. Their chants of "si se puede" halted when elevated trains passed overhead.

The bill adopted last March under then Speaker Christine Quinn will make New Yorkers eligible for a minimum of five paid sick days. It would apply equally to part- and full-time employees, with the hours being accrued by workers.

The proposed bill provides for the same number of paid sick days, but eliminates many elements that business leaders had lobbied for, such as limiting the law to businesses with 15 or more employees and creating a trigger that stalls the bill if the city's economy weakens. The mayor's proposed law would apply to businesses with more than five employees.

Neither de Blasio nor Mark-Viverito were able to say when a new, modified law would be in place, given that the Council still needs to sort itself out organizationally. However, they said the Council would move on the bill fast enough to expand sick-leave coverage to an additional 355,000 workers before the year's end.

Nancy Ploeger, president of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, said that her office fielded calls of concern soon after the early reports of today's announcment. She said that the chamber has not seen the bill's language, but looked foward to having an opporunity to help the Council draft "fair, equitable and balanced bills."

"As we know, this was one of the mayor’s talking points during the election," Ploeger said. "It is not coming as a surprise that this is one of his first directives. We will be talking with the administration to find out the details of the new language and re-introduction of the bill. Our chamber continues to be concerned with the costs of doing business in NYC and the burdens placed on the backs of the small business owners."

At the announcement, de Blasio acknowledged that small business would have a place at the table during the Council's consideration of the bill, but noted that the conversation began when former Councilwoman Gale Brewer, now Manhattan borough president, introduced the first iteration of the bill.

"This is the fourth year of a conversation," he said. "I think there's a lot of small business owners who understand why this is a good idea. But of course as the speaker said there's going to be a deliberative process, there's going to be an opportunity to hear the voices of small business."

Mark-Viverito agreed, adding that the process is essentially the reintroduction of an already discussed and debated bill. The end result of those discussions, however, was what the Council passed last year under Quinn -- a result that left many of the original sponsors dissatisfied, she said.

"Clearly we understand that there are going to be those who are going to argue against it. It's been heard before," she said.

New York City will immediately begin using traffic cameras to ticket speeders — a move spearheading Mayor Bill de Blasio's strategy to reduce traffic-related fatalities.

"We think that there's an epidemic here. There's an epidemic of traffic fatalities, and it can't go on," the mayor said yesterday in announcing the creation of a task force charged with developing a plan to make city streets safer.

"The first obligation of government is to protect the health and safety of our people. And this is an area in which we simply have to do better," he said, noting the relevance of the announcment two weeks into his administration.

Seven pedestrians were killed in the past two weeks in traffic accidents. In the past ten years, 1,766 people have died in traffic accidents in the city.The issue prompted local families and activists to push the new administration to adopt "Vision Zero," a comprehensive plan to reduce and eventually eliminate injury and death by traffic incidents.

De Blasio is assembling an interagency task force with representatives from the New York Police Department, Department of Transportation, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Taxi & Limousine Commission. He set a Feb. 15 deadline for the group to generate a plan incorporating additional police resources, intersection improvements and the beginnings of a traffic safety legislative agenda — which would include a push on Albany to allow the city to deploy its own traffic camera initiatives.

Two of the agencies involved in the group, however, are still technically awaiting the mayor to make appointments to their top positions. Thomas Farley, appointed by Bloomberg in 2008, continues to oversee the Department of Health after de Blasio asked him and a handful of other Bloomberg-era appointees to stay.

De Blasio did not ask former Taxi & Limousine Commission chief David Yassky to stay, leaving the agency to TLC Chief Operating Officer Conan Freud.

A spokesman for de Blasio did not immediately respond to questions on whether the lack of appointments to either agency will affect the task force and its month-long deadline.

The mayor made the announcement on the playgrounds of P.S. 152 in Queens, a block from where 8-year-old Noshat Nahian was struck and killed by an unlicensed truck driver. The accident occurred as boy crossed a six-lane boulevard on the way to school with his younger sister.

Nargish Begum, Nahian's mother, stood silently by the podium, clutching a picture of her son close to her chest. She wiped away tears with her headscarf as de Blasio spoke about her son. Nahian's sister was still in class during the early afternoon event on school grounds.

"I'm very happy," Begum said about the mayor's initiative as she held back tears.

In addition to using recently installed cameras to issue tickets to enforce speed limits across the city, the NYPD will also begin to shift personnel towards its highway division, with the goal of increasing it to 270 officers.

"A life lost is a life lost, whether by murder or by traffic accident," said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. "And the department is committed to every way, shape and form reducing the loss of life."

The task force will focus specifically on developing a plan to improve safety conditions for at least 50 intersections, increase the number of 20 m.p.h. zones around the city and devote more police resources to address speeding and pedestrian behavior. De Blasio said he is also committed to challenge Albany to allow the city to govern itself on traffic issues, exerting home rule on traffic cameras — currently under the state Legislature's realm.

"My hope is, on the legislative agenda we're discussing here, that it will be quickly embraced by all elements in Albany and we can act on it quickly," de Blasio said.

City Council’s discretionary spending, a practice that frequently raises questions about favoritism and political power plays, is set to become an early wedge issue for the new mayor and the person he helped win the Council speaker race.

Mayor Bill de Blasio made a campaign promise to eliminate the discretionary fund, which Council members disburse to projects and organizations of their choosing. Council member Melissa Mark-Viverito, elected last week to the speaker position, has consistently defended the fund. And as speaker, she is empowered to dole out the cash to individual Council members as she sees fit.

As this potential clash between mayor and speaker brews, one organization, Community Voices Heard, has found its 2014 allocation of discretionary cash unexpectedly frozen. The Gotham Gazette found during the Council Speaker race that the $67,500 earmarked for CVH was frozen despite receiving similar allocations the year before.

The office of then-Speaker Christine Quinn — who over the past two years had a political falling out with Mark-Viverito — didn’t respond to questions about why the CVH allocation was stalled.

A nonprofit based in Mark-Viverito’s Harlem district, CVH has previously lobbied the Council to adopt participatory budgeting, a process by which residents vote on how to spend discretionary funds in their communities. CVH acted as “lead community partner” in the participatory budget process last year in Mark-Viverito’s district, according to the organization’s website.

CVH has received thousands of dollars in discretionary funds in the past. It was allocated $87,000 in 2012 for its programs, mostly for its efforts to promote participatory budgeting.

Mark-Viverito allocated $33,000 in her discretionary funds to CVH last year. Of that amount, $11,000 was to support CVH’s participatory budgeting campaign. Another $20,000 went to housing-related programs run by the group.

A spokesman for Mark-Viverito declined to comment on why the speaker’s office under Quinn froze the recent allocation to CVH, or the likelihood of the new speaker restoring the group's money.

Mark-Viverito wasn’t the only Council member to direct discretionary cash into CVH. Queens Councilman Mark Weprin, a former speaker candidate, gave $11,000 to the organization last fiscal year, as did six other members who use participatory budgeting in their districts. On average, they gave the nonprofit $5,000 to help the program’s outreach efforts.

CVH spent $3,550 on lobbying the City Council in 2012, city records show. Part of the money went to its advocacy work on participatory budgeting.

A CVH spokesman declined to comment on the frozen funds.

But Chris Keeley, the group’s political and communications director, said CVH does not lobby individual Council members, advocate for any specific projects or influence how any of the district’s $1 million in discretionary funds are spent.

“CVH has been proud to help lead the charge to bring participatory budgeting to New York City and to help expand the effort from four Council districts two years ago to 3.5 million residents of the city next year,” he said in a written statement.

Council members directed questions about CVH’s frozen funds to Brooklyn Councilman Brad Lander, a leading voice for participatory budgeting and a co-founder of the Progressive Caucus.

“Fiscal Year 2013 funding was repurposed for other programs provided by Community Voices Heard to comply with Council funding policies,” said Alex Moore, a Lander spokesman. “We will be continuing to explore appropriate ways the Council can provide resources to improve and expand participation in participatory budgeting.”

He declined to comment on the reason for CVH’s frozen allocation.

Few question the merits of participatory budgeting. The practice is increasingly seen as a tool for much-needed transparency. However, some have raised concerns about a nonprofit group lobbying Council members to embrace participatory budgeting while using discretionary funds to do so.

“When the Council provides funds to an organization for a program that the organization is lobbying for to become part of the Council’s practices, it appears very circular and incestuous,” said Alex Camrada of good government group Citizens Union, the sister organization of Gotham Gazette.

During her last year as speaker, Quinn faced questions about providing discretionary cash to a local nonprofit that also lobbied city officials. Quinn approved the $100,000 allocation to the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development — the third in as many years — whose stated purpose is to preserve and expand affordable housing in the city, the Wall Street Journal reported last April.

While CVH received significantly less in member items than ANHD, likewise spending much in lobbying activities, the Harlem nonprofit still set its eyes on expanding participatory budgeting from within the Council.

In an November 2013 memo published on its political arm’s website, CVH recommend that the new speaker create “a new division within the City Council’s finance department (to) coordinate and support” participatory budgeting. The memo also states that each Council member who adopts participatory budgeting should be granted “an additional boost investment averaging $1 million” in discretionary funds. That would essentially double the amount each Council member receives for his or her district.

“Some of these proposals would be modified pending changes to the way discretionary funding is provided to Council members under the new Council rules adopted in 2014,” the memo read.

Quinn overhauled the discretionary funds process after the New York Post reported in 2008 that she had set up a “slush fund” of millions of dollars by allocating grants to phantom organizations. She instituted further reforms in 2010.

“There is a totally different, night-and-day difference from the system I inherited,” Quinn told Gotham Gazette last fall. “I inherited an honor system where the assumption was that any group that a Council member requested to fund was a quality group. I found out fairly quickly that was a broken system.“

While there was more transparency by the time the next budget came around, questions remain about the politicization of the process. Council members who crossed Quinn complained that they were shorted in allocations.

And despite the reforms, former Councilman Dan Halloran of Queens was caught up in a federal investigation last spring for allegedly offering to funnel discretionary cash to an undercover FBI agent posing as a developer. He has pleaded not guilty and the case is still pending.

The problems with the process have motivated at least 32 returning and new members of the Council to call for further reforms that would distribute the funds using a fairer but as of yet undecided formula. (A handful of those members who support participatory budgeting were also endorsed by CVH’s political arm, including Mark-Viverito.)

That formula might be moot, if Mayor Bill de Blasio has a say. While a staunch supporter of both Mark-Viverito for speaker and participatory budgeting, de Blasio called for the elimination of the fund during the primary campaign against Quinn. The mayor’s proposal: replace the controversial coffers with an independent grant program.

“My preference is that we end them immediately. Of course, there will be a negotiation with the City Council over that,” de Blasio said at an unrelated press conference in early January, calling the rules reform package suggested by the New Council “progress.”

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Photo courtesy of William Alatriste/NYC Council

Albany, N.Y. – As Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined his future priorities in his State of the State address, one member of the largely supportive audience listened intently for mention of the state’s largest city.

What New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio heard, however, was largely a Cuomo pledge to reduce taxes for residents and businesses and create jobs, particularly in Upstate communities.

Cuomo used Wednesday's address to build momentum for his reelection bid this year and position himself as a potential 2016 presidential candidate. De Blasio came to Albany for the first time mayor and looked to make hay of the political capital he earned during his landslide victory in November.

The governor solidified his bona fides as a fiscal conservative with a progressive social bent. He made it clear he will focus on rebuilding his support Upstate and in western New York.

Cuomo’s poll numbers took a dive Upstate last year when he pushed for gun regulations in the NY SAFE Act. To combat the damage, Cuomo proposed tax plans designed to attract new businesses to the region. He focused on measures to boost manufacturing and development in Buffalo and Rochester. He also pledged to bolster upstate tourism and touted the passage of legislation allowing for casinos in the region.

Though Cuomo didn’t mention de Blasio during his hour-log address, he did voice support for universal pre-kindergarten – the mayor’s signature issue. He didn’t say how the state would finance it.

"It is time to fulfill the state's goal of truly universal pre-kindergarten access for all children," Cuomo said. The governor’s State of the State policy book, which sometimes provides more details on his agenda, also fails to say how that goal would be financed.

The fact that Cuomo’s mention of pre-k came after a long discussion about tax cuts made it seem all the less likely that he will support de Blasio’s plan to raise taxes on New York City’s wealthy. The state legislature would have to allow the city to implement such a tax.

De Blasio was treated like a conquering hero by many Democratic legislators. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate coalition co-leader Sen. Jeff Klein pledged their support for de Blasio’s pre-k plan.

“We have to get this done for the people of New York City and I echo what Speaker Silver said, we are simply asking for the right to tax ourselves,” de Blasio said after meeting with Silver.

Just as his predecessors have, de Blasio held a news conference after Cuomo’s speech and heaped praise on its “progressive themes.”

“I think it’s been a very positive day as I prepare to build a very constructive working relationship with all the leaders in Albany.” de Blasio said. “I think this speech will be a great road-map for so much of our work going forward.”

De Blasio countered the idea that he had been slighted by Cuomo in any way by saying that he speaks to the governor on a regular basis. He added that was encouraged by Cuomo’s remarks about pre-k.

“It was a fantastic statement,” he said. “It’s absolutely the right goal.“

De Blasio suggested that Cuomo’s proposed tax cuts did not mean he would be against a tax hike for the city’s wealthy citizens.

“I think the state has a vision for the state and I respect that vision,” de Blasio said. “We have a vision for our own city and we simply want an acknowledgement of that so we can move forward.”

The mayor also went out of his way to praise Cuomo’s plans for western and upstate New York.

“I appreciate the changes of the upstate economy and as governor he is absolutely right to focus on those challenges,” he said. “As a mayor, you can’t help but feel solidarity with your fellow mayors. Buffalo’s been through a lot and I think the governor’s right to focus on being to bring Buffalo back.”

Cuomo didn’t ignore downstate issues during his address. He mentioned the city’s reviled airports -- JFK and La Guardia -- and proposed that the state take over construction projects to improve them. He proposed an expansion of Metro-North with stops in the Bronx and a connection to Pennsylvania Station. He also proposed a renters tax credit as part of his tax package. But issues important to New York City residents, such as immigration reform, stop-and-frisk police tactics and the city’s troubled hospital system were not mentioned.

Politicians, pundits and journalists watched the governor’s speech with an eye toward what it might reveal about the future relationship between Cuomo and de Blasio.

Douglas Muzzio, a professor in the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College, said it isn’t surprising that Cuomo was light on specifics for the city.

“It is absolutely incumbent on the mayor for him to make his case to the governor and both houses of the legislature for what he wants and he has time to do that,” Muzzio said. “They should be working collaboratively behind the scenes because it is in the best interest of the people of New York.”

It may not be until after de Blasio sets his agenda in his State of the City address and the legislature is in full swing that New Yorkers get an idea as to whether his good friend Governor Cuomo supports it.

Muzzio and other political observers found Cuomo’s speech to be a “grab bag” of initiatives that lacked the drive of last-year’s speech that had the backdrop of Superstorm Sandy and the Sandy Hook shooting. Muzzio said he felt it was hard to maintain a passionate undertone while “giving a laundry list of initiatives.”

From a medical marijuana program and juvenile justice reforms to incentives for downsizing local government and tax reduction it felt like Cuomo was trying to cover all political spectrums. The governor also urged legislators to support his ethics reforms. Cuomo took on a conciliatory tone asking legislators to help him protect the public’s trust in government by enacting reforms recommended by the Moreland Commission on Public Corruption.

A new City Council unanimously elected its speaker today though some members intimated a need to heal rifts created by the heated race for the city’s second most powerful political seat.

Puerto Rican-born Melissa Mark-Viverito, 44, becomes the first Hispanic to lead the 51-member Council. Her election is viewed as an early win for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who made no secret of his support for the Harlem councilwoman.

Mark-Viverito ran an aggressive campaign for the seat, ultimately overcoming Councilman Dan Gardonick’s coalition of supporters. The vote put to bed months of speculation about who would replace former Speaker Christine Quinn.

Garodnick conceded to Mark-Viverito prior to the vote, prompting a full minute of applause in City Council chambers. The Manhattan councilman pledged to work with the new speaker for a Council that is a fair, responsible and respectful counterbalance to the mayor.

“I also want my colleagues to know that it is not lost on me that this became an tense and grueling process for many of us,” Garodnick said. “Please know that I will do my part to resolve any rifts that this process may have caused among us, and endeavor to take any steps necessary to help us move forward together.”

Mark-Viverito, the Council’s fifth speaker, thanked Garodnick for a spirited race and extended her hand to her fellow Council members whether they were a part of her original bloc of supporters or not.

“While it was difficult at times, that only makes today’s show of unity even better,” she said in accepting the nomination. “To my colleagues I pledge you this: I look forward to working hand in hand with you in your districts, communities and neighborhoods. You all have a friend and ally in the speaker’s office and my door will always be open.”

Few seemed surprised by Mark-Viverito’s victory.

“Everyone was so afraid of — God forbid — someone casting a vote for another candidate,” said Councilman Mark Weprin of Queens, a former speaker candidate. “I wasn’t surprised in the end. It was a process of getting there. Feathers were ruffled — not as much to do with Melissa but the process. In the end, in the sprit of unity we all came together.”

Several news media reported ahead of today’s vote that some Council members were concerned about Mark-Viverito’s qualifications and the behind-the-scenes lobbying on her behalf by de Blasio, a long-time ally.

Mark-Viverito’s victory did away with the presumption that the speaker would be selected by Democratic Party bosses from Queens and the Bronx, long seen as power brokers for the internal Council race. Queens Democratic leader Joe Crowley and Bronx Democratic leader Carl Heastie stood with Garodnick until the last hour, as did most of the members from both boroughs’ delegations.

After the Council’s first meeting of the new year, Garodnick said he didn’t fear any retribution by the new speaker’s office against him or his supporters.

“We will make sure that their voices are heard and their districts are protected,” he said. “This is an election. It’s over, and everyone will move on to work together tomorrow.”

Despite the show of unity, Garodnick and Bronx Councilwoman Anabel Palma — who also held out for Garodnick until the last minute — raised a red flag during the meeting. The two joined the Council in approving the new rules committee, but commented on its lack of inclusiveness.

The committee members include Mark-Viverito and Council members Donovan Richards, Rafael Espinal, Margaret Chin, Deborah Rose, Ydanis Rodriguez and chair Brad Lander — all members of the left-leaning Progressive caucus, which Mark-Viverito helped form.

Garodnick said he understood that the named members would serve as placeholders and the committee would likely be broadened but felt compelled to say something.

“When I heard the composition, I just thought the point should be made — in the interest of our all being together — that more voices be likely included,” he said.

Mark-Viverito later acknowledged the concerns voiced by Garodnick and Palma, and said more names would be added to the committee.

The Council’s new minority leader, Staten Island Councilman Vincent Ignizio, said he is committed to working with Mark-Viverito. One of three Republicans on the Council, Ignizio said he expects the new speaker to respect dissent and debate as she did during the speaker’s race.

"My colleagues on both sides of this fight weren't fighting. They believed someone would be better juxtaposed to the other person," he said. "We had two qualified candidates, and now we have one speaker."

Thank you. Gracias.
 
Before I begin I would like to say a few words in Spanish
 
Hoy hemos hecho historia. Estoy profundamente conmovida y emocionada por el momento en que nos encontramos. Esta victoria no solo me pertenece a mi sino a todos los puertorriqueños y latinos en esta ciudad.

I am very honored and humbled by this day.
 
I would like to thank friends, supporters and members of the public who have come today and those who are watching online or on TV to witness our democracy in action.
 
I have to acknowledge some very special guests that are here with me today, mi familia: my mother, Elizabeth Viverito Escobar and my brothers, Randy and Anthony.
 
They have provided the foundation and support that have helped me to arrive at this moment and I truly thank them for being here. I know my father, who never got the chance to see me as an elected official, would also be extremely proud today.
 
---
 
I want to thank each and every one of my colleagues today.
 
Whether you are from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island or Manhattan we all have the pleasure of serving in the greatest city in the world.
 
I would also like to thank my friend and colleague Councilmember Garodnick.
 
Dan -- we’ve been colleagues since we were sworn in together in 2006 and I look forward to working with you these next four years. You are an important and strong voice in the Council and we are lucky to have you in these Chambers.   
 
I am proud to say that Councilmember Garodnick and I conducted the most transparent Speakers race in New York City history.
 
With countless forums and debates opening up the process like never before.
 
And while it was difficult at times that only makes today’s show of unity even better.
 
To my colleagues I pledge you this: I look forward to working hand in hand with you in your districts, communities and neighborhoods.
 
You all have a friend and ally in the Speakers office and my door will always be open.  
 
We will work together because that is what New Yorkers expect and deserve.
 
This council will be unified in our common cause- delivering for New Yorkers.
 
We unite for a more equal and just New York where everyone, no matter what borough you are from, what neighborhood you were raised in or who your parents were, has equal opportunities.
 
We will unite to create more affordable housing, improve our educational system and help those who have fallen on hard times.
 
We will unite to fight to raise the minimum wage for low wage workers at fast food restaurants, car washes and airports. For our undocumented immigrants who are fighting for a pathway to citizenship.
 
We will unite to keep our economy strong, whether you work on The Grand Concourse in the Bronx, Northern Boulevard in Queens, Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, Victory Boulevard on Staten Island or on Wall Street.   
 
We will unite for our brave first responders at NYPD, FDNY, EMS and Sanitation -- Our teachers, nurses and everyone who helps make this magnificent City run.  
 
And yes, we will unite to hold the administration and Mayor accountable.
 
This is our vision for this City Council: Unity, independence, integrity, transparency and accountability.
 
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As most of you know, I came to Nueva York at the age of 18 from Puerto Rico and have lived here ever since.
 
I have always loved this city. It’s the place where my mother and father were born; the place where I came to visit my grandfather during the summertime; the place where my abuela – who was part of the early Puerto Rican migration of the 1920’s and 30’s – became active.
 
In many ways, when I came to New York, I was following in the footsteps of my maternal grandmother, who uprooted herself from Puerto Rico – also at the age of 18 – to come to New York City in search of a better life – something unheard of at the time.
 
Her daughter – my mom – who proudly hails from the Bronx, went on to become a leader in Puerto Rico’s feminist movement, starting one of the first law firms on the island led by women.
 
So when I came to New York, it was no surprise that I found my home in activism. I have worked for two decades at the grassroots, in non-profit organizations, in labor and as a public servant.
 
Today marks the culmination of those years of service.
 
As I stand here as the first Puerto Rican Speaker, the first Latina Speaker and the first Speaker to come from the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, I remember my time working with young people at ASPIRA of New York, a Latino youth leadership development organization.
 
We taught these young people to embrace their heritage and their identity, to dream big and to work hard.
 
I hope that as young Latinas and Latinos are witnessing this moment, they are able to dream that much bigger and are inspired to work that much harder, because we have broken through one more barrier.
 
---
 
Over the past few months, I’ve laid out for all of you my vision for a speakership that is open, inclusive and transparent.
 
A leadership style that allows all voices to be at the table, helping to shape the direction we take as a legislative body; a leadership style that puts the will of the members and the needs of their constituents before the ambitions of a speaker.
 
Many have stated that giving additional power to individual members will undermine the ability of the Council to function effectively.
 
But I believe that empowering each member will only mean that all of us will take greater ownership over this body and work that much harder to preserve its power and its integrity.
 
This is our vision for the “New” New York City Council.
 
And once again, a major gracias, to all of my colleagues.
 
I look forward to continuing to work with each and every one of you to serve the great people of the City of New York.
 
Thank you