Major City Hall shakeup outlined in executive order

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams quietly inked an executive order last week codifying major changes to the City Hall hierarchy — the latest step in a broader leadership shakeup that began as the administration entered its second year.

The rearrangement, which has not been previously reported, empowers Tiffany Raspberry, the head of intergovernmental affairs, and shifts more responsibilities to First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright — while simultaneously establishing ethical guardrails for how to deal with her partner and fellow cabinet member, schools Chancellor David Banks. The executive order also spells out responsibilities of the mayor’s chief advisor, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who had initially operated on more of an at-large basis.

“It’s normal for a new mayor to structure his administration to reflect his priorities, and we’ve seen that from this mayor before,” said Jon Paul Lupo, who ran intergovernmental affairs for part of the de Blasio administration. “Hiring a deputy mayor for public safety was a clear sign that that was something he would focus on.”

In this case, the shuffling signals the mayor’s confidence in Wright, who chaired his transition, and Adams' desire to be close to decisions that might affect other branches of government and constituencies outside City Hall.

In the original executive order the mayor signed shortly after taking office, which delineated the initial hierarchy of top staffers, Lewis-Martin did not have a single agency reporting to her. Now, she oversees the Office of Administrative Services, which keeps key governmental functions like payroll and contracting running smoothly for the mayor’s office, and the Office of Appointments, which helps recruit and develop senior leadership and advises mayors on boards and committee appointments.

“Everyone knows what a significant and vital adviser Ingrid is to him,” Lupo said. “So adding additional important city offices to her portfolio only reinforces the crucial role she plays in City Hall.”

Lewis-Martin has been the right hand of Adams for decades, and the two share a penchant for turning to trusted allies to fill high-paying administration jobs. Some of those picks, however, have attracted criticism from key constituencies and watchdog groups. One, Edu Hermelyn, the husband of Brooklyn Democratic Party leader Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, gave up a lucrative municipal gig since it conflicted with a political post that, while unpaid, was important to the county party.

The executive order, signed March 16, also boosts the fortunes of Raspberry, another Adams confidante who leads the intergovernmental affairs (IGA) division.

At the outset of the administration, IGA reported to the then-chief of staff, Frank Carone, a key figure in Adams’ campaign who wielded significant influence during his one-year stint in city government. Now the IGA head reports directly to the mayor, a reflection of Raspberry’s longstanding status as a trusted aide and Carone’s replacement by Camille Joseph Varlack, who is not as close to the mayor as her predecessor.

Press Secretary Fabien Levy — who previously reported to the communications director but has a direct line to Adams in the new layout — said many of the changes predated the executive order but were codified to establish what had transpired since the start of the administration.

Raspberry’s leap up the organizational chart, for instance, happened last year and Levy himself has been able to approach the mayor directly for just as long, he said. And while the city’s sheriff had initially reported to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, that decision was quickly reversed in practice after the administration learned it was prohibited by the City Charter. The charter requires the sheriff to report to the Department of Finance. The new reversal was included in last week's order.

Many of the shifts concerned Wright, who was promoted earlier this year from her previous post as deputy mayor for strategic initiatives. Wright, who received a massive bump in staffing compared to her predecessor once she settled into the top deputy mayor slot, has expanded her role at City Hall by bringing on some elements of her former portfolio.

However, she has also had to give up oversight related to education, such as interfacing with the Panel for Educational Policy, because her partner, David Banks, is the schools chancellor — an arrangement that has attracted criticism over potential conflicts of interest.