Gov. Kathy Hochul has handed Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani an early—and controversial—assist, vetoing legislation that would have stripped New York City’s next mayor of a powerful tool to sideline City Council–backed ballot proposals.

The veto, issued quietly earlier this month, killed a bill that would have curtailed the mayor’s ability to “bump” City Council–approved charter amendments off the ballot by convening a competing charter revision commission. The move has left City Council leaders fuming and raised fresh questions about Hochul’s role in shaping the balance of power at City Hall just weeks before Mamdani takes office.

“This veto is disappointing and leaves a major threat to democracy and good governance in place for New York City and local governments across the state,” a City Council spokesperson said in a statement.

At issue is a little-known but potent quirk in state law governing New York City’s charter—the city’s de facto constitution. While the City Council can vote to place proposed charter changes directly before voters, the mayor can effectively knock those questions off the ballot by creating a charter revision commission, whose proposals take precedence. Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams used that maneuver earlier this year, sidelining council-backed initiatives.

The bill Hochul vetoed would not have prevented a mayor from convening a commission or advancing their own proposals. Instead, it would have guaranteed that council-approved amendments—and even citizen-initiated proposals—could not be erased from the ballot by mayoral action.

“This change in the law doesn’t take away a mayor’s right to create a commission,” said State Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), the bill’s sponsor. “But it does allow the City Council and the public the right to put their own questions on the ballot as well.”

Krueger openly questioned whether Mamdani, who takes office next month, had sought Hochul’s intervention—an implication that underscores how politically charged the veto has become.

In her veto message, Hochul argued the bill would create chaos beyond New York City, warning that allowing multiple sets of charter proposals could confuse voters and lead to contradictory outcomes across municipalities statewide.

“Permitting multiple sets of proposals from various commissions to be placed on the ballot may give rise to conflicting proposals, voter confusion and the passage of inconsistent policies,” Hochul wrote.

But critics say the governor’s rationale masks a broader embrace of executive power that strengthens the hand of the mayor at the expense of the legislature and the electorate.

Assemblymember Tony Simone (D-Manhattan), the bill’s Assembly sponsor, said the veto entrenches an undemocratic status quo.

“The actions of past mayors and undoubtedly future mayors have shown the necessity of ending the mayor’s power to bump other charter proposals off the ballot,” Simone said. “I am disappointed by this veto and will continue working toward reform in the new year.”

Both Simone and Krueger endorsed Mamdani in the general election, complicating the political optics of the governor’s decision.

The fallout comes as Mamdani has already begun clashing with City Council members over policy and power, even before being sworn in.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)