Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen apologized Tuesday for calling members of the City Council “not that smart” in a court deposition.
Her stringing assessment was made in November in response to a lawsuit by advocates who challenged a city policy of reserving half the units in new affordable housing projects for local residents.
“I think we would be here for a month if you wanted a list of every time a city councilperson didn’t understand what was going on in a particular project or a rezoning,” Glen said under questioning in Manhattan federal court, according to PoliticoNY.
“They are often extremely confused and ill-informed and not that smart.”
The 51 City Council members not only must approve the city’s annual budget, but the administration relies heavily on them to support its initiatives and to pass legislation that advances the mayor’s policies.
Asked about Glen’s comments, Council spokeswoman Robin Levine called the digs a “cheap shot.”
“If anything is ‘ill-informed’ and ‘not that smart,’ it’s taking a cheap shot at the same City Council that has always treated Deputy Mayor Glen and the entire Administration with courtesy and respect,” said Levine. “Deputy Mayor Glen should apologize.”
In a statement relayed from City Hall, Glen quickly offered a mea culpa.
“Certainly I apologize,” she said. “I’m proud of what my team and council members have accomplished together, and I respect their role and perspective.”