Maria Torres-Springer on restoring trust in NYC government

NEW YORK — Maria Torres-Springer has worked for three New York City mayors, but her new post as first deputy mayor to Eric Adams might be the toughest job of all.
Torres-Springer’s predecessor Sheena Wright resigned amid a handful of notable departures from the Adams administration recently.
She’s tasked with restoring trust in city government as the indicted Mayor Adams faces mounting legal problems.
Torres-Springer, who was the deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce before getting elevated, said she’s taking the job at a “complicated time.” But the Yale and Harvard grad believes she’s up to the task. 
“My first priority is to make sure that we continue to be super focused on the work,” Torres-Springer said in an appearance on CBS News New York’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer.”
“So what does that mean? For me, Marcia, it means that we continue to deliver quality services to New Yorkers, we keep advancing the major initiatives of this administration, and that we care for and support the people, the 300,000 public servants who wake up in the morning and work tirelessly to improve the lives of New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” she added. 
Torres-Springer wants the city’s public workforce to go about business as usual. However, she expects to review hiring practices and make recommendations to the mayor. 
“The mayor, when my appointment was announced, he also announced that we were going to do a full review. A review of programs, of processes, of personnel, to make sure that we as an administration maintain the strength that is needed to deliver for New Yorkers,” Torres-Springer said. “It will be comprehensive, and of course we have to make sure that we’re triaging. So we’ll make recommendations to the mayor that are timely and are the most urgent issues, again, to ensure that the 300,000 public servants can continue to do their jobs, that New Yorkers see the fruits of that type of labor and that we’re not just trying to deliver basic services, we’re actually trying to move the city forward.” 
Torres-Springer views housing as the most pressing issue right now, and weighed in on the controversial plan to evict the Elizabeth Street Garden in favor of new affordable apartments.
“We’re not disputing the beauty of the Elizabeth Street Garden, but we have to also think about the beauty that we create when we provide low-income seniors with the type of housing that they need,” the first deputy mayor said. “To delay this project, and we’re on the cusp of breaking ground on it, for more years of litigation or to look at alternative sites that, again, would take years and years and years, I think betrays the many seniors who are looking for an affordable home.” 
A judge recently paused the eviction order. 
To watch the full interview with Torres-Springer, click here.

Mark Prussin

contributed to this report.