NYC Council Marks First 100 Days with Record of Productivity, Oversight, and Results for New Yorkers

 

Council has passed 111 bills, including overrides of 17 Adams-era vetoes, and introduced a record 1,200 bills in first 100 days

Today, the New York City Council marked its first 100 days of the new term by highlighting an ambitious legislative and oversight record focused on affordability, public safety, and making city government work more efficiently for New Yorkers. Under Speaker Julie Menin’s leadership, the Council has responded urgently to the challenges New Yorkers face every day, from access to child care and housing to consumer and worker protections and combatting rising hate.

In its first 100 days, this Council has passed 111 introductions and resolutions in total and introduced more than 1,200 pieces of legislation, more than any other in Council history. During this period, the Council also overrode 17 mayoral vetoes from the previous mayoral administration, more than in the last decade combined, and held 84 oversight hearings. Overall, this marks one of the most active starts to a legislative session in recent history.

The Council has made affordability a central focus, including efforts to implement universal child care across the five boroughs. That work has included elevating child care as a priority through the creation of a new, standalone Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education, advancing legislation to require the Department of Education (DOE) to report quarterly on invoice payments to child care providers to address chronic late-payment failures, and streamlining child care program permitting.

“In our first 100 days, the Council has passed major legislative packages and laid a strong foundation for the work ahead. The results speak for themself,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “We have moved with urgency to deliver results for New Yorkers while governing responsibly. I am proud of our early progress tackling the issues people face every day, including advancing efforts to combat hate, expanding access to child care, cracking down on emergency no-bid contracts, and strengthening worker protections.”

The Council has also prioritized enhancing efficiency and good governance practices with a legislative package to reform the city contract procurement system, adding guardrails against the use of emergency contracts, strengthening protections against false information on the qualifications of bidders for city contracts, and increasing the accessibility of critical information for vendors. The Council also included several creative solutions to identify efficiencies and generate additional revenue for the City while protecting essential services in the Preliminary Budget Response.

Efforts to elevate quality of life for all New Yorkers and improve public safety have also been a top priority for the Council during its first 100 days. As part of the Council’s Five-Point Plan to Combat Antisemitism, the body advanced a legislative package that includes the Schools and Houses of Worship Access and Safety Act, legislation to enhance public safety, transparency, and accountability by requiring the New York Police Department (NYPD) to develop and publicly post response plans to protests outside schools or houses of worship. The Council also approved a pilot program aimed at improving street cleanliness and ensuring timely removal of snow or ice at bus shelters, bike share stations, and other public spaces.