New York City Mayor Adams appointed four new deputy mayors on Friday to replace aides who submitted their resignations last month due to concerns about his leadership amid his ongoing federal corruption indictment.
The new deputy mayor for public safety is Kaz Daughtry, a controversial NYPD official reprimanded for getting into social media spats with lawmakers and reporters, while Adolfo Carrión, Adams’ commissioner for housing preservation and development, is taking over as deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce, according to a press release from City Hall.
The new deputy mayor for operations will be Jeffrey Roth, a former National Guard and FDNY veteran, while the new deputy mayor for health and human services posts is Suzanne Miles-Gustave, a former state Office of Children and Family Service official, the statement says.
Still, Adams didn’t announce an appointment for first deputy mayor, the second-in-command role at City Hall.
The mayor has leaned toward tapping Randy Mastro, a controversial attorney and onetime chief of staff to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, for the top deputy post, according to sources familiar with the matter. The first deputy mayor appointment was initially expected to be unveiled alongside the other new hires this week, the sources told the Daily News.
It’s unclear what’s causing a holdup with the first deputy mayor post, but sources familiar with the matter said Friday that the mayor continues to lean toward naming Mastro for the top job. The sources said it’s unlikely a new first deputy mayor will be named Friday.
In a statement, the mayor thanked his new hires “for their willingness to step up and serve at such a critical time.”
Daughtry is expected to start his role at the end of business Friday, while the other three are coming on officially March 14, the mayor’s office said.
The four new deputy mayors were at City Hall on Thursday to shoot a video the mayor’s office released along with Friday’s appointment announcement in which they introduce themselves and speak about issues facing New York.
“For 19 years I have served New Yorkers and made our city safer at the New York City Police Department,” Daughtry said in his snippet before touting his work on the NYPD’s drone program. “I am excited to bring this cutting edge technology and strong community partnership to the city’s entire public safety apparatus.”
This story will be updated.
