Mayor Adams’ office scraps controversial online engagement form for elected officials

Mayor Adams has discontinued a controversial policy requiring local elected officials to seek permission via an online engagement form before speaking with senior officials in his administration about a range of issues, according to two sources directly familiar with the matter.

Tiffany Raspberry, Adams’ intergovernmental affairs director, announced the cancellation of the policy in a private Zoom call Monday morning with City Council members and other local elected officials, the sources told the Daily News.

Spokespeople for the mayor’s office did not immediately return requests for comment.

The announcement comes just as the City Council is expected to vote this Wednesday on a bill that would make the policy unenforceable.

The policy, implemented this past spring, required elected officials fill out a form in order to meet or speak with senior administration officials, like agency commissioners, about a range of issues. Since it took effect, elected officials on the city, state and federal levels have complained the policy makes their jobs harder by adding unnecessary red tape to their frequent interactions with administration officials.

Elected officials have said they speak frequently — sometimes daily — with agency commissioners and other senior officials about issues relating to public safety, sanitation and other matters. Requiring sign-off from the mayor’s office on such conversations has slowed down constituent services, elected officials say.

The mayor has said the policy was meant to streamline city resources.