Mayor Defends Low Bill Signing Rate, Citing Efficiency
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani states that legislation becoming law, regardless of his signature, holds the same impact for New Yorkers.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has defended his administration's practice of allowing a significant number of City Council bills to become law without his signature, a stark contrast to his predecessors.
Mamdani's office has signed only one law in his first ten months, a measure allowing year-round outdoor dining. Approximately 90 other bills passed by the City Council have become law through a "returned unsigned" process, which automatically enacts legislation after 30 days if the mayor does not sign or veto it. Mamdani stated that the "impact is the same to New Yorkers across the city" whether a bill is signed or lapses into law.
He emphasized his focus on delivering results and continuing to work with the council, noting that "most important is to deliver new results to New Yorkers." Mamdani suggested that his approach is more efficient, allowing him to achieve more than previous mayors.
By comparison, former Mayor Eric Adams had signed 30 bills at the same point in his tenure, Bill de Blasio had signed 47, and Mike Bloomberg had signed 28.
Mamdani's allies have supported his approach, with former New York State Senator Jabari Brisport commenting on social media that "No need to sign. As long as he doesn’t veto, the bills become law anyway." Brisport added that Mamdani's method is "actually more efficient."