NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – Julie Menin has been elected the new leader of the New York City Council, the body that drafts and passes local laws.
The council speaker is elected by the 51-member City Council. Menin, a city council member who represents the Upper East Side, declared victory in the speaker race in November. She’ll replace outgoing Speaker Adrienne Adams, who ran in the mayoral primary.
The job comes with a salary bump – $164,500 per year – and extra responsibility.
At the council hearing to elect a new speaker, City Council Member Kevin Riley called Menin a “true bridge builder,” citing her two decades of experience in public service and as a lawyer. Menin will be the first Jewish speaker of the City Council.
Many council member spoke of Menin’s wins like the NYC Kids RISE, a non-profit she founded that has created savings accounts for all New York City’s kindergarteners.
”A speaker to lead this body must be relentless,” City Council Member Shekar Krishnan said. “I know that this council always stands up for NYers… we need a leader who is willing to back us up and fight right next to us.”
Menin has emphasized universal childcare and housing affordability as key concerns, and emphasized she will work collaboratively with Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
City Council Member Frank Morano, who represents Staten Island, said he hopes Menin will help the council be a “a check” for the Mamdani administration “when it goes too far.”
City Council Member David Carr will serve as the council’s minority leader.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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