NYC’s Adams to Name City Hall Veterans as Finance, Budget Chiefs

(Bloomberg) -- New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams is expected to name a pair of government veterans to lead the budget and finance departments, moves that could foster a sense of continuity for business leaders.

Preston Niblack, deputy city comptroller for budget, will be named commissioner of the city’s Department of Finance; while budget commissioner Jacques Jiha will lead the Office of Management and Budget, according to two people familiar with the decisions. They said they were unauthorized to speak publicly about the choices because Adams could still change his mind.

Niblack, who declined to comment, has worked for Comptroller Scott Stringer since 2016. He was previously the City Council Finance Director under former Speaker Christine Quinn. As finance commissioner, Niblack will be responsible for overseeing the collection of billions of dollars in tax revenue and assessing property s.

Jiha, the budget commissioner under Mayor Bill de Blasio since October 2020, previously served as the city’s finance commissioner and as the state deputy comptroller for pension investment and public finance. 

As budget director, Jiha is responsible for the development of the city’s annual expense and capital planning, and the budgets of dozens of city agencies. New York City’s budget is currently $102.8 billion. A City Hall spokesperson declined to comment. 

Adams will be inaugurated on Jan. 1 as the second Black mayor in New York City history. With two weeks before he takes office, he has named just two major appointments to his administration. 

Longtime educator David Banks will be New York City schools chancellor, responsible for overseeing the city’s more than 1 million public school students; and Keechant Sewell, Nassau County Chief of Detectives, will be the first female New York Police Department commissioner overseeing the largest police force in the U.S.

Those are a small fraction of the more than 50 agency heads Adams must appoint in the coming weeks. Speaking Wednesday at a Queens press conference held to announce Sewell’s appointment, Adams defended the pace of his transition. 

“I’m looking for quality over quantity,” he said. 

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