NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ ‘powerless’ charter panel stacked with Dem cronies making six-figures

NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and nan remainder of nan legislative body’s far-left mostly are connected gait to pain done millions of dollars successful payer money backing a powerless sheet stacked pinch governmental cronies whose Machiavellian ngo is to weaken nan mayor’s powerfulness — for their ain gain, The Post has learned.

The Council’s alleged “NYC Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy” – which is successful nan process of soliciting nationalist input connected ways to revise authorities operations that see diminishing a sitting mayor’s veto powers and boosting nan Council’s opportunity successful high-level agency appointments – is each but obsolete.

That’s because Mayor Eric Adams – who isn’t related to nan speaker but is her governmental adversary — appointed his ain Charter Revision Commission successful December that is reviewing ways to tackle nan city’s lodging situation and different imaginable norm charges.

Under metropolis predetermination rules, only proposals from nan mayor’s committee tin look connected nan November ballot if some panels taxable proposals.

The speaker’s committee nether its bylaws tin technically hold different twelvemonth to effort putting referendum questions connected nan ballot, but it would again beryllium astatine nan mercy of nan sitting politician blocking it.

However, that didn’t extremity nan speaker and Council from appointing a 17-member committee successful January.

The Council posted ineligible notices seeking to prosecute 16 execs, lawyers, publicists and different staffers to tally nan committee – including 3 earning up to $200,000 and six others making astatine slightest six figures, records show.

The projected yearly salary ranges totaled $1,972,400 to $2,187,330 – good beyond nan $250,000 Speaker Adams and nan Council budgeted for nan commission, records show.

“It’s conscionable a large discarded of money,” said a Democratic councilmember who typically sides pinch nan speaker. “We’re successful nan mediate of nan fund season, and everyone knows this Charter Commission is not going anywhere, truthful why discarded everyone’s time?”  

“This committee is thing much than an bonzer vanity task for Adrienne Adams filled pinch unnecessary, exorbitant salaries, ” added a Democratic City Hall source.

Most of nan jobs person been filled by Democratic operatives seeking greener pastures. Others stay vacant.

Those hired see Casie Addison, who stepped down as chief of unit for Councilwoman Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn) to go nan commission’s lawman head and elder advisor; and James Dezell, nan erstwhile spokesperson for authorities Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx), who was tapped arsenic nan commission’s communications director.

Addison’s caller gig was advertised to salary $175,000 to $200,000, and communications head occupation $145,600 to $155,600.

The speaker successful January separately appointed Danielle Castaldi-Micca, nan Council’s erstwhile lawman main of staff, arsenic nan commission’s executive director. The job’s net scope was ne'er made public, but sources said Castaldi-Micca’s net exceeds nan $186,000 she made yearly for nan Council.

In comparison, Mayor Adams has appointed 2 Charter Revision Commissions since taking agency successful 2022 and nary relied connected hired help. Instead, City Hall unit assisted nan committee arsenic portion of their regular duties.

The 17 members of nan Council-created committee aren’t paid salaries, but galore are politically connected – including co-chairs Henry Garrido and Arva Rice.

Garrido is executive head of District Council 37, nan city’s largest municipal worker union, which is endorsing Speaker Adams for mayor.

Rice is an outspoken erstwhile caput of nan Civilian Complaint Review Board who resigned from nan post past twelvemonth pursuing a nationalist feud pinch Mayor Adams’ management complete budget cuts she claimed made it difficult for nan NYPD watchdog entity to do its job.

Besides nan co-chairs, 7 different members were appointed by nan speaker, including four who donated to her mayoral campaign.

The Council’s agency and nan committee declined to reside nan panel’s bloated payroll.

Instead, Council spokeswoman Julia Agos defended nan panel’s creation, saying it was basal because of Mayor Adams’ willingness to transverse statement lines and person a cordial moving narration Republican President Donald Trump.

“It is absurd to declare a Charter Revision Commission focused connected strengthening section populist is unnecessary erstwhile our city’s independency is nether onslaught by Trump successful business pinch our ain mayor,” she said.