Reliable sources said New York City mayor Eric Adams is set to appoint former City Councilman Fernando Cabrera to a faith-related position.
Adams reportedly bared the looming appointment of Cabrera after Manhattan State Senator Brad Hoylman asked the mayor during a Monday conference meeting in Albany if he is moving ahead with hiring the ex-councilman despite the pushback.
Earlier, some sectors were angry after Adams wanted Cabrera to head the administration’s top mental health office due to his history of anti-gay remarks.
In appointing Cabrera to the faith-based post, Adams said Cabrera has something to offer to the new position.
Last week, Adams launched the Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnership, a new entity within City Hall that will focus on serving as “a conduit between city government, the faith-based community throughout New York City, and nonprofit organizations.
Sources said Cabrera, a socially conservative Democrat who represented a section of West Bronx in the Council between 2010 and 2021, was initially eyed by Adams to lead the Office of Community Mental Health, a sprawling entity formerly known as ThriveNYC with an annual budget of more than $300 million.
However, LGBTQ activists expressed opposition to the appointment of Cabrera due to his long-held anti-gay and anti-abortion views — including praising Uganda’s notoriously homophobic government during a visit to the African country in 2014.
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