Adams zeroing in on commish,
chancellor appointments
BY STEPHEN WITT
Mayor-elect Eric
Adams, who is traveling
to Ghana this week,
said Monday that he
has a shortlist for both
the New York City police
commissioner and
the schools chancellor
position.
“The transition
team handed over
three names of each
group and that is what
I’m looking at. As soon
as I return you’re going
to see back to back to
back to back announcements,”
Adams said
following a press conference
at the Brooklyn
Public Library. “I’m going
to spend these next
few days looking over
all of them again and
do a deep dive and do
some zooms with a few
of them while I’m away,
but we are right on target
with our schedule.
This was planned to
move exactly the way
it’s moving.”
Adams, a moderate
Democrat who will
be the city’s second
Black mayor, said his
trip to Africa was longplanned,
and like former
President Barack
Obama’s trip back to
the land of his ancestors,
he sees it as a spiritual
journey.
“I made a promise
to myself that I would
visit Ghana following
the 400-year anniversary
of slavery in
America and the election,
to show how far
we have come and remember
how far we
still must go,” said Adams.
Meanwhile, Adams
spoke about Monday’s
news that Queens/
Long island Congressman
Tom Suozzi, who
declined a spot as deputy
mayor in his administration,
would be
entering the gubernatorial
race.
Adams said that
Suozzi did not reach
out to him for an endorsement
and he is for
now reserving judgement
on endorsing anybody.
“He Suozzi has not
reached out to me and
asked for an endorsement.
This is going to
be an exciting gubernatorial
experience. I
need to swear on Jan. 1,
and then I will sit down
with all of those who
are running and make
a determination,” said
Adams.
“Right now Kathy
Hochul is the governor
and I need to fi gure out
the budget. We need to
fi gure out COVID. We
need to deal with two
real issues that are impacting
our cities and
I’m thinking about
that,” said Adams.
Suozzi joins other
announced Democratic
candidates including
Gov. Kathy Hochul,
State Attorney General
Letitia James and Public
Advocate Jumaane
Williams. NYC Mayor-elect Eric Adams with city library offi cials. Photo Stephen Witt
BRONX TIMES R 32 EPORTER, DEC. 3-9, 2021 BTR