New York City Council overrides 17 mayoral vetoes, advancing street‑vendor, driver and housing measures

The New York City Council on Jan. 29 voted to override 17 vetoes issued by former Mayor Eric Adams, advancing a broad package of bills affecting street vendors, app‑based drivers, security guards, and housing preservation.

Speaker Julie Menon told the chamber the Council would "override more vetoes in 1 day than this city council has done in the past decade," framing the votes as a response to late‑term mayoral objections and a move to protect workers and tenants. The clerk read the roll‑call tallies for each vetoed introductory number; the clerk then announced the council overrode the mayor’s objections with two‑thirds of those voting in the affirmative.

Why it matters: The package includes measures that supporters say will give street vendors more predictable access to licensing and training, protect drivers for hire from unilateral deactivation by high‑volume platforms, set minimum standards and benefits for many private security employees, and create tools to preserve affordable housing and reform tax‑lien sales. Proponents characterized the day as a rare, coordinated exercise of the Council’s legislative authority.

Key provisions and sponsors: Speaker Menon listed the bills to be considered, including Intro 4‑31b (a street‑vendor licensing and enforcement overhaul, cited by Council member Pierina Sanchez) and Intro 2‑76a (driver deactivation protections sponsored by Council member Shekhar Krishnan). Council member Brooks Powers and others secured an override on Intro 13‑91a, the Alain Etienne Safety and Security Act, which sponsors said would set wages, paid leave and supplemental benefits for many private security officers. Several bills in the tax‑lien, land‑bank and affordable‑housing package were advanced to limit displacement and change how tax liens are managed.

Votes and outcomes: The clerk read individual tallies for the vetoed introductions; among them were Intro 408a (51–0), Intro 431b (41–7 with 3 abstentions), Intro 570b (44–7), Intro 13‑91a (46–5) and multiple others listed on the general orders calendar. The clerk announced the Council’s overall vote to override the mayor’s vetoes met the two‑thirds threshold. (The transcript contains a numerical anomaly in the read tally for Intro 12‑51a that appears inconsistent with the chamber’s size; that discrepancy is noted in council records and in the official roll call posted by the clerk.)

Dissent and unresolved items: Some members voiced concern that certain bills expand city authority into areas regulated at the state level, raising litigation and cost questions. A set of measures — notably COPPA (the tenant right‑of‑first‑refusal/preservation tool) and a CCRB body‑camera access reform — were discussed at length but were not successfully overridden today; multiple members expressed disappointment and said they would return with revised language.

What’s next: The clerk referred all passed bills to committee as indicated on the agenda for follow‑up implementation steps where applicable, and sponsors said they will coordinate with agencies to finalize any technical or implementation details. The Council adjourned after general discussion on budget pressures, antisemitism responses, and other member‑introduced bills.