In The News-New York City

The Voters Have Spoken

The headline of Tuesday night was Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral election, with 50.4% of the vote. Incumbent Public Advocate Jumaane Williams won reelection with 72.7% of the vote. Mark Levine was elected Comptroller with 74.9% of the vote. Brad Hoylman-Sigal won his race for Manhattan Borough President with 80.7% of the vote. Borough Presidents Donovan Richards, Vanessa Gibson, Antonio Reynoso, and Vito Fossella all won reelection (with between 68.2% and 82.6% of the vote). 

Nearly every city council member won election. In CD13 in the Bronx, Shirley Aldebol (51.6%) holds a healthy lead over incumbent Kristy Marmorato (46.2%). Marmorato’s loss reduces the council’s Republican minority by one member.

The following nine people are new council members-elect (including % of vote received): 

• CD2 – Harvey Epstein (78.2%)
• CD4 – Virginia Maloney (69.1%)
• CD8 – Elsie Encarnacion (84.7%)
• CD13 – Shirley Aldebol (51.6%) 
• CD18 – Justin Sanchez (86.0%)
• CD21 – Shanel Thomas-Henry (76.1%)
• CD28 – Ty Hankerson (99.4%)
• CD33 – Phil Wong (54.0%) 
• CD49 – Kayla Santosuosso (59.3%)

Epstein will take office upon certification of election results given the vacancy in the office. 

New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg won reelection with 73.8% of the vote. Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez was unopposed in his reelection.  

On Long Island, Republicans returned with strong performances. In Nassau County, County Executive Bruce Blakeman won reelection with 55.9% of the vote, District Attorney Anne Donnelly won reelection 55.6% of the vote, County Comptroller Elaine Phillips won reelection with 55.7% of the vote, and County Clerk Maureen O’Connell won reelection with 57.1% of the vote. In Suffolk County, District Attorney Raymond Tierney and Sheriff Errol Toulon won reelection in an unopposed races. Across the river, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the NJ gubernatorial election. 

The above results are based on unofficial election night numbers. Some scanners have not yet reported and absentee, military, and other mailed-in ballots will not be counted until next week. 

Mayor-elect Mamdani Appoints Transition Leadership to Usher in A New Era for NYC

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed nonprofit leader Grace Bonilla, City budget and social service expert Melanie Hartzog, former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, housing and economic development leader Maria Torres-Springer, as Transition Co-Chairs, and political strategist Elana Leopold as Transition Executive Director. 

The Mayor-elect has tasked his transition leadership team with building a government of public servants that will drive down costs and keep all New Yorkers safe. Mamdani Transition leaders are experienced public servants with expertise across government.

“Today we begin the work of building a new administration — and I’m proud to announce an experienced transition leadership team that will hit the ground running,” said Mayor-elect Mamdani. “From day one, our campaign was laser-focused on making this city affordable for working people. And on day one of my administration, with this talented transition team in place, we will be ready to make that vision a reality…”

Bonilla currently serves as president and CEO of United Way of New York City.  She previously served as Administrator of the New York City Human Resources Administration and as the first Executive Director of New York City’s Taskforce on Racial Equity and Inclusion.

Hartzog is the President and CEO of the New York Foundling.   She previously served across two mayoral administrations as New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, and as Family Services Coordinator for the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Deputy Commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services. 

Before heading the FTC, Khan was an Associate Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, and served as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative law, and as legal advisor to FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra.

Torres-Springer has held numerous leadership roles in city government, most recently serving as First Deputy Mayor in City Hall. She was previously Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and president and CEO of the NYC Economic Development Corporation. She has also served as vice president for U.S. programs at the Ford Foundation and is the incoming President and CEO of the Revson Foundation.

Transition Executive Director Elana Leopold has served on Mamdani’s campaign as a senior advisor, acting as a liaison to civic, business and cultural leaders across the city. Leopold, a native New Yorker, held several senior roles during the de Blasio administration including senior advisor to IGA and senior aide to the Mayor.

Mayor Elect Mamdani is encouraging people “passionate about public service and interested in contributing to this work” to share their resumes in the resume portal we invite you to share your resume using the portal below.  Submissions will be added to our talent database and reviewed by the Transition Appointments Team as we identify candidates for roles across City agencies and offices.

Mayor Adams Offers Former Employees Who Were Terminated for Refusing COVID Vaccine Second Opportunity to Return to City Employment

New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week announced the city will offer employees terminated for failing to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate — first issued in 2021 under the previous mayoral administration — a second opportunity to return to city service in their former civil service titles. 

This policy will apply to terminated employees in all mayoral agencies, at New York City Public Schools, and at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Approximately 2,900 terminated employees will be offered the opportunity to return to their same title at the rate of pay for which that title is currently paid, but without any credit for the time they did not serve the city, and with no right to backpay. 

“The policies put in place before we came into office helped us weather additional waves of COVID, and once coupled with the policies our administration put in place over the first months of our term, we helped New York City rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic with a record number of jobs, record number of small businesses, near record tourism numbers, and so much more. But we recognize that we are in a different place today than we were nearly four years ago, and our policies should match the realities of the times,” said Mayor Adams. “That’s why we are updating our policies to reflect our new health and economic reality, as we look forward to welcoming back many of our former employees to their former positions. Ensuring New York City has the strongest workforce possible will continue to make our city safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family.”

In 2023, the Adams administration had previously offered former employees who were terminated for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine the opportunity to be reinstated, resulting in approximately 450 terminated former employees returning to work. 

According to the Mayor, this new policy will, once again, specifically allow eligible employees who were terminated for not being vaccinated the option to return to city service, pursuant to a proposed rule change by DCAS, subject to a public hearing and approval by the New York state Civil Service Commission. Non-competitive employees are eligible to return to city employment without any change to existing civil service rules. New York City Public Schools school-based staff are also eligible to return to employment without a change in rules.

Under the new offer, former employees who require a physical exam, fitness test, or other training or examination requirements, including certification, to return to their former position will still be subject to such requirements as a condition of reinstatement. In addition, there will be a limited background review of subsequent history. 

All former permanent competitive and labor class, non-competitive, or exempt employees who were terminated and are interested in returning to city service must contact the head of human resources at their former agency by December 5, 2025. Employees terminated from New York City Public Schools should contact NYCPSServicereturn2025@schools.nyc.gov, and employees terminated from NYCHA should contact HR.Laborel@nycha.nyc.gov.

In The News-New York State

Comptroller DiNapoli Audit Finds OMH has Improved Kendra’s Law Oversight

The State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has undertaken initiatives to improve its oversight of Kendra’s Law, which established a statutory framework for  court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment (AOT), according to a follow-up audit released this week by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.  The new audit follows a February 2024 OSC review.   

“My office audited the state’s administration of Kendra’s Law because it is critical to preventing individuals with severe mental illness from harming themselves or others,” Comptroller DiNapoli said in a statement reported in Politico. “I’m encouraged that the State Office of Mental Health has improved its oversight to ensure that those who are referred for court-ordered services are evaluated and connected with services promptly and that their progress is now tracked closely and accurately.”

The objective of the Comptroller’s initial audit, issued February 8, 2024, was to determine whether OMH was effectively monitoring AOT to provide reasonable assurance that existing and potential AOT recipients received their court-ordered treatment. The audit covered the period April 2019 through September 2023 and found that improvement was needed in the length of AOT investigations and related information-sharing, initiation of AOT services, the quality and completeness of information about significant events, lapsing AOT orders, and the reporting of AOT non-renewals.  The audit resulted in six recommendations to address these areas.

In the new audit, the Comptroller noted that OMH officials have made progress addressing the issues identified in the initial audit report.  Of the initial report’s six recommendations, three have been implemented, two have been partially implemented, and one has not been implemented.  

With respect to the outstanding recommendation response, OMH staff indicated that it is presently conducting internal software reviews and meetings to develop revisions to the significant event reporting process. 

Comptroller DiNapoli’s report noted that the office implemented an investigation policy in September 2024 and asked local mental health authorities to update their procedures to ensure timely investigations of referrals. The agency also created new systems to address lapses in care due to a lengthy renewal process.

According to OMH’s public statistics, since the inception of Kendra’s Law in 1999 through July 2025, local governments have conducted 48,890 investigations.   Of the 37,578 AOT petitions filed, 35,943 (96%) were granted.  New York City is the largest petitioner, accounting for 22,055 (61%) of the petitions granted.   At any given time between July 2021 and July 2025, according to the Comptroller’s report, there have been between 3,400 and 3,700 individuals under an AOT order.

Governor Hochul Announces New York State’s First-Ever Report on Maternal Mental Health

Governor Kathy Hochul this week announced the release of New York’s first-ever maternal mental health report detailing the challenges pregnant women are facing and recommendations for improvements statewide. 

In addition to the report, OMH made $850,000 available to help OBGYN and family medicine practices provide behavioral health support to their patients — a recommendation included in the maternal mental health report.  The funding will provide up to 17 awards statewide to expand the psychiatric collaborative care model at these practices, helping them to increase perinatal depression screening and treatment to decrease racial disparities in this care.

Drafted by the Maternal Mental Health Workgroup led by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), the report provides a detailed pathway to improve the mental health of pregnant women statewide, including training to help providers identify specific conditions and improved mental health screening procedures for pregnant women.

 “The number one most common pregnancy complication facing one in five birthing people is a maternal mental health condition,” State Senator Samra Brouk said.  “… I recognize that in New York State, maternal mental health conditions are the third leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths this report to focus on disparities in care for postpartum mothers to help solve our maternal health crisis.”

Nationally, an estimated one in five pregnant women experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorder during their pregnancy or in the first year postpartum. Approximately 75 percent of these individuals are not diagnosed or treated, which can lead to consequences that range from high-risk pregnancies and poor childhood cognitive development to substance use, self-harm, and suicide.

  Bills Delivered to the Governor  

A5921A Sponsored by AM Woerner/Senator Addabbo — Creates the jockey health insurance reserve fund and redirects the left-over funds to a reserve fund to further ensure the stability of jockey health insurance coverage to protect against future unexpected increases in costs.

A6558A Sponsored by AM Lunsford/Senator Harckham — Requires allergen labeling on all food that is prepared, prepacked, and offered or sold to customers on the same premises.

S5331A Sponsored by Senator Bailey/AM Weprin — Establishes an online insurance verification system for motor vehicle insurance.

 S7807A Sponsored by Senator Gounardes/AM Rosenthal — Expands the definition of epinephrine devices to include epinephrine nasal sprays.

Briefs 

NYS DEC Approves Permits for Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Pipeline Project

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the agency’s approval of required permits, including a Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification, for the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline project. The full decision is outlined in a letter issued today to Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC. 

The Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project includes the construction, installation, and operation of a new 26-inch diameter pipeline to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey, travelling underwater in the Raritan Bay and Lower New York Bay to approximately three (3) miles offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula in the borough of Queens, New York. The overall project involves the installation of approximately 23.5 miles of new underwater pipeline, and approximately 17.4 miles of new pipeline will be installed within New York State waters. The NESE Project is designed to provide approximately 400,000 dekatherms per day of incremental firm natural gas transportation service to National Grid to serve existing customers in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island. The new pipeline would connect to the existing Rockaway Delivery Lateral in Queens, and it is intended to support reliability and help displace the use of oil.

DEC included the following protective conditions in the NESE Water Quality Certification:   

• Comprehensive oversight: DEC is requiring on-site, independent, third-party monitors that will directly oversee project implementation to ensure compliance. All reporting and monitoring will be conducted in accordance with DEC-approved plans.
• Minimizing and mitigating impacts to critical resources, including Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, winter flounder, and hard clams; construction work windows to avoid sediment disturbance during critical times of year to protect the life cycles of hard clams and minimize impacts to aquatic species; requiring the project developer to implement mitigation for all unavoidable impacts, which is estimated to cost approximately $23.5 million, pending DEC’s ongoing assessment.
• Preventing contaminants from contravening water quality in the Raritan and Lower New York bays: the project developer must implement a Dredge Management Plan that limits contaminants from being suspended in the water column and details adaptive management techniques. 

New York State Department of Health Announces Open Enrollment for 

2026 Coverage

The New York State Department of Health announced the start of Open Enrollment for 2026 health insurance coverage through NY State of Health, the Official Health Plan Marketplace.  Open enrollment runs from November 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026.

“Open Enrollment is a critical opportunity for all New Yorkers to secure health insurance coverage they need for themselves and their families,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “New York remains steadfast in its commitment to providing high-quality, affordable health insurance. With improved dental benefits and a strong marketplace, we are making it easier than ever for residents to say yes to their health.”

Open Enrollment for 2026 Qualified Health Plans opened on November 1, 2025. Consumers needing coverage can now enroll and existing enrollees can renew starting November 16.   All consumers are encouraged to enroll before December 15, 2025, for coverage starting January 1, 2026.

In New York State, over 6.7 million individuals are enrolled through the NY State of Health Marketplace, including 220,000 Qualified Health Plan (QHP) enrollees. Of these QHP enrollees, 140,000 benefit from enhanced premium tax credits initially authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended under the Inflation Reduction Act (2022). These tax credits are due to expire in December 2025 absent Congressional action to extend them.

Information on coverage plans and enrollment can be accessed here.  

New York Designated as Purple Heart State

New York has officially been designated as a Purple Heart State under legislation (Chapter 489 of the Laws of 2025) signed by Governor Kathy Hochul.

  “This recognition speaks to the heart of who we are as New Yorkers and as a nation.” AM Marianne Buttenschon said.  “”It is my hope that by designating New York as a Purple Heart State, we are sending a clear message: your sacrifices will never be forgotten, and your service will forever be honored,”

The Purple Heart, established by General George Washington in 1782, honors Armed Forces members wounded or killed in combat, and it’s the nation’s oldest military honor. New York’s new designation highlights the State’s commitment to veterans, with over 700,000 residing statewide.

Mayor Adams Announces Additional Funding for 5,000 New NYPD Officers in November Plan, Bringing Uniform Headcount Up to 40,000 by Fiscal Year 2029

New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week announced a new investment in the upcoming November 2025 Financial Plan Update that will increase the uniformed headcount of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) by 5,000 officers, increasing the total number of officers to 40,000 by Fiscal Year (FY) 2029. Mayor Adams is making an investment of $17.8 million in the upcoming fiscal year that will increase to $315.8 million by FY 2029 to support the phased-in hiring of the additional 5,000 officers by July 2028.  

The new phase-in will begin in July 2026 with 300 officers, growing to 2,500 in July 2027, and increasing to 5,000 annually in July 2028. At full strength, NYPD will be authorized to put approximately 40,000 officers on the street to protect New Yorkers. 

9/11 Solidarity Network Helps Claimants Obtain Vital Documentation for 9/11 Compensation Fund Claims

It is becoming increasingly difficult for some claimants to find documents to prove their presence at an eligible location so many years after the attacks.   In fact, earlier this year, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) went to the State Legislature for assistance in verifying its members’ 9/11 service.  On September 10th, Governor Kathy Hochul signed chapter 390 of the Laws of 2025 which establishes a presumption that a New York City Police Pension Fund member participated in the rescue, recovery, and clean-up operations at the World Trade Center, unless their employer proves the contrary by competent evidence.

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) understands this challenge and encourages individuals who were present in the exposure zone to gather and save their proof of presence documents now, even if they aren’t currently ill or planning to file a claim.

To help members of the general public verify their 9/11 service, Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno LLC’s affiliate Pitta & Baione LLP is developing the 9/11 Solidarity Network,  a system where members can act as witnesses for one another in verifying 9/11 service. The network utilizes sworn Witness Presence Statements from people who can attest to a claimant’s presence which are accepted as secondary evidence by the VCF when primary documentation is unavailable. 

By participating, individuals can provide the crucial testimony a fellow member might need while also securing potential support for their own future claims. This initiative formalizes the collective memory of its members to help ensure no one is left to prove their presence alone.

For more information regarding the 9/11 Solidarity Network, please contact Pitta & Baione at 844-901-1262. 

Coming Up

New York State

Wednesday, November 12th  

Assembly Public Hearing: Local Government Procurement,

Roosevelt Hearing Room C, Legislative Office Building, 2nd Floor, Albany, 10 a.m.

Assembly Public Hearing: Increasing Veteran Access to Mental Health Services,

Hunting Town Board Meeting Room, Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, 11 a.m.

Thursday, November 13th  

Cannabis Control Board Meeting, Empire State Plaza – Meeting Room 7, 11 a.m.

New York City

Wednesday, November 12th

Committee on Finance, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.

Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 11 a.m.

Committee on Land Use, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 11:15 a.m.

City Council Stated Meeting, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1:30 a.m.

Thursday November 13th,

Committee on Housing and Buildings, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.

Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation, Council Chambers, 10 a.m.

Committee on Civil Service and Labor, Council Chamber – City Hall, 10 a.m.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 10 a.m.

Committee on Finance, Committee Room – City Hall, 11 a.m.

Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 11 a.m.

Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings & Dispositions, 250 Broadway,8th Floor, Room 3, 1 p.m.