Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday she will not use her executive powers to oust Mayor Eric Adams, but instead introduced three legislative proposals to increase oversight of his office. 

The proposed legislation — subject to City Council and state legislature approval — would install a new special inspector general for city affairs within the office of the state inspector general, while a proposed revision to the City Charter would prevent the mayor from firing the city Department of Investigation commissioner without state approval.

Hochul further proposed allowing the city comptroller, public advocate and City Council speaker to hire outside counsel to sue the Trump istration, independent of the city Law Department.

Hochul’s final proposal would add additional funding to the office of the deputy state comptroller to have more oversight into city decision-making.

Adams has been in the center of a political firestorm cooperation on federal immigration enforcement, on proposed that appear to violate the city’s longstanding sanctuary city laws.

If ed at the city and state level, the measures would take immediate effect and expire at the end of 2025, subject to renewal. Hochul conceded at a press conference Thursday that she had not lined up sponsors for the legislation in the Council or the statehouse.

“I have found a path forward that I believe gives me confidence with having this system in place, a line of sight into budgetary matters, investigatory matters, as well as legal matters, and this is what gives me the confidence to know that there is a system in place,” Hochul said.

Hochul emphasized the proposal was “not a power grab.” 

“This is not a move for me to say, ‘I want to be the mayor of New York,’” she said.

Still, Hochul didn’t rule out the possibility of ousting the mayor at a later date.

“I use the phrase ‘at this time,’” she said. “I will never surrender power that I have.”

Adams, who declined to answer questions about Hochul’s proposals at an unrelated press conference earlier on Thursday, released a statement saying his istration has upheld “the values” of New Yorkers who voted for him. 

“While there is no legal basis for limiting New Yorkers’ power by limiting the authority of my office, I have told the governor, as we have done in the past, that I am willing to work with her to ensure faith in our government is strong,” he said in the statement.

A spokesperson for the City Council said they will review the details of the governor’s proposals once they receive them. A spokesperson for the State Senate Majority Leader did not respond to a request for comment.

Hochul’s proposals come days after the governor met with key local leaders about the mayor’s future after the fallout of a Justice Department memo ordering federal prosecutors in Manhattan to drop his five-count indictment. 

At least six federal prosecutors resigned in protest, citing concerns over their own independence. 

Four deputy mayors — who have been credited with keeping city government functioning as the mayor faced corruption charges — announced their resignations on Monday. 

Facing pressure to act earlier in the week, Hochul had said she had “serious questions about the long-term future of this mayoral istration,” and indicated she was considering the unprecedented step of using her executive powers to oust Adams.

When asked by THE CITY at Thursday’s press conference, Hochul declined to say if Adams had done or said anything in recent days to give her new confidence to her decision not to remove him.

Hochul said she didn’t want to overrule New York City voters. 

“The will of the voters and the supremacy and sanctity of the democratic elections preclude me from any other action,” Hochul said.

Comptroller Brad Lander in a statement called Hochul’s proposal “useful to keep New York City moving forward in these precarious times.” Lander is among candidates campaigning to challenge Adams in this year’s mayoral race.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who met with Hochul earlier in the week to discuss the mayor’s fate, released a statement ing her decision. But, he said, “these new oversight measures must be temporary, and the historic home rule separation between city and state government should be restored immediately upon the resolution of this crisis.” 

The original indictment against the mayor, brought by former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damien Williams, alleges that Adams took flight upgrades, hotel stays and illegal campaign funds from figures tied to the Turkish government, while pursuing favorable city government action at Turkey’s behest.

Federal Judge Dale Ho, who is presiding over Adams’s case, has yet to decide whether to approve the Justice Department’s request to drop the charges against Adams.