Additional Coverage:
- Mamdani announces new Office of Mass Engagement, says he needed a ‘clean slate’ to govern New York City (foxnews.com)
NYC Mayor Mamdani Kicks Off Tenure with Clean Slate and New Public Engagement Push
NEW YORK, NY – New York City’s freshly minted Mayor Zohran Mamdani wasted no time setting a distinct tone for his administration, signing his first executive order aimed at drawing a clear line in the sand after the recent federal indictment of former Mayor Eric Adams. The move, announced Friday, also coincided with the launch of a brand-new City Hall office designed to revolutionize how the public participates in civic decision-making.
Mayor Mamdani explained that his inaugural executive order served as a critical opportunity to either continue, revoke, or amend all prior executive orders. His administration opted for a strategic continuation of directives that pre-dated Adams’ 2024 indictment on federal corruption charges, which were later dismissed.
“What we did was to sign an executive order that continued every executive order that predated the moment when our former mayor was indicted,” Mamdani stated, highlighting a period where “many New Yorkers lost even more faith in New York City politics and the ability of city government to actually prioritize the needs of the public, as opposed to the needs of the person.”
This decisive action, Mamdani emphasized, signals “a new era to protect each and every New Yorker and to deliver for those same New Yorkers in a manner that they have not seen under prior administrations.” The order specifically revoked or required reissuance of mayoral directives issued after September 26, 2024, granting the Mamdani administration significant control over which policies would move forward.
Central to this new era is the establishment of the Office of Mass Engagement, which Mamdani says will consolidate existing civic outreach efforts across city government. This new office will be helmed by Tascha Van Auken, a seasoned organizer with a background spanning national Democratic campaigns and the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Mamdani lauded Van Auken’s extensive experience, noting her decade-plus in “organizing at scale” from President Obama’s first campaign to her leadership in the NYC DSA. He credited her with building the formidable volunteer operation behind his own mayoral campaign, which mobilized over 100,000 volunteers who knocked on more than 3 million doors citywide.
“The work of civic engagement has existed before today. It has been a part of city government,” Mamdani acknowledged.
“However, it has often been siloed in different parts of city government infrastructure… Part of the intent of this executive order is not just to create a new Office of Mass Engagement, but also to cohere all of the work that is already being done into one place so that we can ensure that it’s not duplicative, and it’s actually fulfilling its intent.”
A key objective for the new office is to fundamentally shift when public engagement occurs in the policy process. Mamdani criticized the common practice of outreach being used “with an intention to justify a decision that’s already been taken.” Instead, he asserted, “The point of this office is, however, to make decisions with a large part being what the public actually thinks about those decisions.”
Initially, the Office of Mass Engagement will draw on existing city employees, with further staffing details to be shared at a later date. Mamdani firmly rejected the notion that the office is a tool for re-election, asserting its purpose is “delivering for New Yorkers today, delivering for New Yorkers every single day.”
He added, “We have an opportunity in this moment where New Yorkers are allowing themselves to believe in the possibility of city government once again. That is not a belief that will sustain itself in the absence of action.”
Further underscoring his commitment to broader public participation, Mamdani also announced the appointment of Ali Najimy to lead recruitment and outreach for the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary. This move, Mamdani explained, aims to democratize the path to becoming a judge, ensuring it’s “determined by who they know, as opposed to the work that they do,” and that the judicial system truly reflects the city.
Mamdani emphasized that the success of the new engagement office would not be measured by mere activity, but by tangible impact. “We should not be measured on the number of meetings we hold or the number of surveys that are filled out,” he stated. “We should, in fact, be measured by the way in which we incorporate that feedback into the decisions that we make.”