NYC Mayor Mamdani signs executive order, creates Office of Mass Engagement
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday that his first executive order as mayor is aimed at opening a new City Hall office aimed at drawing a line following the impeachment of former Mayor Eric Adams and also changing how the public is involved in decision-making.
“In the first executive order, as the new mayor of a city, you must sign the continuation of all previous executive orders or the revocation or modification of all,” Mamdani said during a question-and-answer session focused on what he called the city’s revitalized “Office of Mass Engagement.” he said.
Mamdani said his administration chose to pursue executive orders that preceded Adams’ 2024 indictment on federal corruption charges, which were later struck down by the Justice Department and rejected by a federal judge in April.
“And so what we did was sign an executive order that continued all the executive orders that preceded the moment our former mayor was impeached,” Mamdani said, calling it “a moment when many New Yorkers further lost faith in New York City politics and the ability of city government to prioritize the needs of the public as opposed to the needs of the individual.”
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signs executive orders alongside campaign volunteers during a rally at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday. The newly inaugurated mayor rescinded a number of executive orders issued by former NYC Mayor Eric Adams, including some related to Israel. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“And what we’re going to do now is usher in this new era of protecting every single New Yorker and serving those same New Yorkers in a way they haven’t seen in previous administrations,” he added.
The executive order rescinded or required the reissuance of mayoral directives issued after September 26, 2024, giving the Mamdani administration control over what policies were implemented.
Mamdani made these remarks while describing the purpose of the new Office of Mass Participation, saying that it aims to bring together the civic outreach efforts already being done across the city government.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signs executive orders with campaign volunteers during a demonstration at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, NY (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Mamdani said the new Office of Mass Participation will be led by Tascha Van Auken, an organizer whose background extends to national Democratic campaigns and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in New York City.
“Since President Obama’s first campaign to lead the New York City DSA in 2008, Tascha has spent more than a decade organizing at scale,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani credited Van Auken with founding the volunteer operation behind his mayoral campaign and said he mobilized more than 100,000 volunteers who knocked on more than 3 million doors across the city.
“Civic engagement efforts existed before today. It was part of the city government,” Mamdani said. he said. “However, it has often been set aside in different parts of the city government infrastructure, sometimes under different offices, sometimes through different initiatives.”
“Part of the purpose of this executive order is not just to create a new Office of Mass Engagement, but to bring together all the work that’s already being done in one place, so we can make sure that it’s not a duplication and that it actually serves its purpose,” he said.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the crowd during his inauguration ceremony in front of City Hall on Thursday. (Jason Alpert-Wisnia / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)
Mamdani said he wants the new office to change once public participation in the policy process takes place.
“Oftentimes, city government outreach and involvement is done for the purpose of justifying a decision that has already been made,” he said. “But the purpose of this office is to make decisions based largely on what the public actually thinks about those decisions.”
When asked about the budget and headcount, Mamdani said the office will initially utilize existing city employees.
“There are a number of employees in this office who already work for the city in pre-existing offices, and the details of how that will expand beyond that is something we will share later,” he said.
Mamdani rejected the idea that the office was built around re-election politics, saying the office was meant to “serve New Yorkers today, serve New Yorkers every day.” Mamdani said we have an opportunity to allow New Yorkers to once again believe in the possibility of city government; “This is not a belief that will survive without action,” he said.
Mamdani also noted another appointment announcement, saying the engagement aligns with the office’s decision to appoint Ali Najimy to lead recruitment and outreach efforts for the Mayor’s Judicial Advisory Committee.
“A New Yorker’s ability to become a judge is often determined by who they know, as opposed to what they do,” Mamdani said, adding that the goal is to ensure the judicial system reflects the city and “commitment to excellence and universal application of the law.”
Najimy said the position would expand hiring citywide and shape criminal and family court appointments, saying candidates should be evaluated “based on their experience, qualifications and commitment to public service.”
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Mamdani said he did not want the new office to be judged solely on activities.
“We shouldn’t be measured by the number of meetings we hold or the number of surveys completed,” he said. “We should really be measured by how we incorporate that feedback into the decisions we make.
Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.
