The 'Inability Committee' That Could Remove Mayor Adams

NEW YORK CITY — Amid a growing call for New York City Mayor Eric Adams to resign following allegations of a "quid pro quo" between the mayor's lawyers and the Trump administration to get his corruption charges dismissed, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has called on Adams to form a plan to stabilize the government by Friday.

If not, Lander said he would convene an Inability Committee, which would determine Adams' fitness for office, and could have the power to remove him, Lander said.

"Given the gravity of this situation and the chaos it has unleashed among New Yorkers, I formally request that your office promptly develop and present a detailed contingency plan outlining how you intend to manage the City of New York during this period of leadership transition," Lander said in an open letter to Adams on Monday.

"Should your office be unable or unwilling to formulate such a plan promptly, I will seek to convene a meeting of the Inability Committee."

But wait, what is an Inability Committee?

An Inability Committee, which Lander told Patch he discussed with New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday, is a special committee provision in the City Charter added in 1987 after Mayor Ed Koch had a stroke.

The provision gives NYC's top legislators the right to form a committee to determine a mayor's capability to hold office and run the city.

If the committee finds that the mayor is not competent, then the committee has the authority to remove the mayor from office.

The Inability Committee would include five key members of city government, per the city charter: the city's comptroller, the City Council speaker, the corporation counsel, the borough president with the "longest consecutive service" and a deputy mayor of the current mayor's choosing.

If the committee does form in the coming days, that would mean it would include Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant, Lander, Speaker Adrienne Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and a deputy mayor.

For the committee to determine that Adams can no longer govern, at least four members have to certify it in writing and present it to Adams, who would have 48 hours to respond.

Then, the declaration would go to City Council, which would vote on the matter within 21 days.

If more than two-thirds of the city council vote that the mayor is not fit to manage the city, then Adams would be removed from office and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would take over as acting mayor until a special election can be held.

“No one would do anything lightly here, but the goal is to make sure we don’t have chaos at City Hall," Lander told Patch on Wednesday.

This is a developing story and may be updated. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.