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FDR’s effort was challenged in court and the New York Supreme Court ruled that the governor’s authority is “unlimited.” It is the “naked power of removal.” Walker, seeing he was about to be ousted, resigned and fled to Europe. Michigan and Florida also empower their governors to remove mayors for negligence or improper governance, not just illegal acts. Ousting a democratically elected mayor is serious business, but almost every state has some constitutional mechanism to remove an incompetent or unfit mayor. As long as removal is followed promptly by another election, voters have the ultimate say. The Citizens Union, a New York City non-partisan good government group, sees the “potential democratic harm of ousting a duly elected official who represents over eight million people” but concludes that a removal power is essential. The organization proposes an amendment guaranteeing that the mayor has a due process right to be heard and that the hearing occur within seven days. Even so, the final decision would still belong to the governor. The Democratic Party in New York has been hijacked by the Democratic Socialists of America, largely with out-of-state money and manpower. Mamdani’s extreme anti-capitalist, anti-cop and antisemitic promises, if implemented, threaten the survival of the city’s economy and the safety of its residents, particularly Jewish New Yorkers. The governor’s removal power was created for such rare circumstances. Hochul or her successor must have the courage to use it when the need arises. Betsy McCaughey is a former Lt. Governor of New York State
