The Big Apple has a new boss in Eric Adams.
The former Brooklyn borough president officially became the 110th mayor of the City of New York as the ball dropped in Times Square at midnight Saturday, coinciding with the arrival of the new year.
Adams was there for the ball drop and a swearing-in ceremony in officially succeeding Bill de Blasio as New York City’s chief executive.
The new mayor will have a busy first day Saturday as he ushers the city into a new era in governing. Adams is scheduled to arrive at City Hall at about 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 for meetings with his new cabinet. At noon, he’ll deliver an address to the people of New York City.
A few hours later, Adams will address of roll call of officers at the 103rd Precinct station house in Jamaica, Queens. The location has personal significance for hizzoner, a former ranking member of the NYPD who said he suffered police brutality there as a young man.
The busy first day agenda for Mayor Adams foregoes a normally festive inauguration day for past mayors. Adams had originally scheduled an inaugural ceremony at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn for Saturday evening, but that was postponed due to the spike in COVID-19 cases stemming from the Omicron variant.
Also taking office at midnight Saturday were City Comptroller Brad Lander; Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the first Black man to hold the office; new Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, the first Black woman to hold the post; Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine; Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella; and all 51 City Council members elected in November.
Midnight also marked a changing of the guard at the NYPD, as Keechant Sewell officially became New York City’s first Black female police commissioner, succeeding the retiring Dermot Shea. David Banks also officially took office as the city’s new schools chancellor, taking over for Meisha Ross Porter.
Check with amNY.com and politicsNY.com later on New Year’s Day for additional coverage of Mayor Adams’ first day.
