Back In Its Old Chambers, City Council Overrides Mayoral Veto Of Outsourcing Bill

By: Michael Herzenberg

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After holding meetings in a converted bank for almost a year-and-a-half, the City Council formally convened in City Hall on Thursday and overrode the mayor's veto of a bill that requires municipal agencies to not automatically outsource its services. NY1's Michael Herzenberg filed the following report.

The City Council was back to the business in the East Wing of City Hall on Thursday, and overrode a mayoral veto.

The Outsourcing Accountability Act now requires city agencies consider whether city employees can perform a service before it's outsourced and also aims to increase transparency.

"This bill is exactly the kind of bill we should be passing when we are in a fiscal climate like the one we are in now," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

"It makes sure that the city is smart about spending taxpayers' dollars," said Brooklyn Councilwoman Darlene Mealy.

The override came on the same day the City Council returned to its side of the 200-year-old building that lawmakers share with the mayor.

The building's $90 million renovations are not yet complete, as there is still scaffolding over City Hall's exterior, but they should be done by the end of the year.

"That was the most important goal of these renovations, to make it structurally sound," Quinn said. "This place is going to be beautiful and wonderful when it's done."

City Hall itself was breaking the law, as it was not compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and was unsafe. Now it has a modern fire suppression system, exit signs and even railings to make it safer for children in the gallery.

The committee room at City Hall had to be closed before the chambers, because it was unsafe, and NY1 was told part of the ceiling actually fell in. Now the ceilings are repaired.

The chambers are also decorated with the words, statues and portraits of great politicians of the past, who may inspire the current generation of leaders.

On the same day the City Council overrode the mayor, the speaker proposed a new bill aiming for even more transparency for those outsourced contracts, so the eyes of the public could help oversee the government too.