By Gloria Pazmino and Mark Morales, CNN

(CNN) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday she will not use her executive powers to remove Mayor Eric Adams from office, at least for now, instead opting to propose a set of guardrails that aim to severely limit the New York City mayor’s independence.

“After careful consideration, I have determined that I will not commence removal proceedings at this time,” the Democratic governor said at an afternoon news conference in her Manhattan office. “My strong belief that the will of the voters and the supremacy and sanctity of democratic elections preclude me from any other action.”

Hochul, who noted she is troubled by the accusations leveled against the mayor, said she would use constitutional powers to create new “safeguards” and oversight of agencies in charge of local investigations and the city’s finances.

The proposals – if passed – would severely limit the mayor’s independence as Adams faces accusations that he is working to facilitate the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in exchange for having his federal corruption charges dropped. Adams, who has said he wants to work with the administration on matters of public safety, has denied making a deal with the Trump administration.

“The Trump administration has said already it’s trying to use the legal jeopardy facing our mayor as leverage to squeeze and punish our city,” Hochul said.

She also announced the creation of a new state inspector general solely focused on New York City’s administration. In that position, the new inspector general will also have the power to initiate investigations and protect any city investigation from “interference.”

Hochul, who has been under pressure to respond after dozens of lawmakers called on her to use her executive power to remove the mayor from office, said the proposals will help bring “stability” in government and ensure city services are delivered to New Yorkers.

The governor, who is up for reelection next year, held a series of high profile meetings with some of the city’s top Democrats this week as she mulled whether to remove Adams. She was also keenly aware of the optics and political fallout that could follow if the first woman governor of New York moved to remove the city’s second Black mayor from office, according to two people briefed on the meetings.

Adams disputed the proposals’ legality in a statement following the news conference, while noting his willingness to work with Hochul to build trust in the city’s government.

“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. “I look forward to continuing those conversations.”

So far, Hochul and Adams have maintained a good working relationship during their time in office. Historically, city mayors and governors have been known to struggle for power and the spotlight as a result of holding two of the highest profile offices in the nation.

“This is not a power grab. I don’t need to do this,” Hochul said. “I’m busy enough as governor, but I’m also not going to turn the blind eye to a situation that has put our city and our state in the national spotlight in a way that has been very negative.”

Hochul, who played a significant role in pushing the mayor to dismiss aides who had become embroiled in investigations in the lead up to his indictment last year, also said she told the mayor to identify “strong managers” to fill the roles of the four deputy mayors who resigned this week and are expected to leave their posts in March.

As part of Hochul’s proposals, the mayor would be prohibited from firing the commissioner of the Department of Investigation – which played a critical role in the probes that resulted in Adams’ federal indictment last September – without the approval of the new state inspector general.

The move, Hochul said, is designed to prevent “interference” and “allow the inspector general to focus more directly on any improper activity that may arise out of New York City.”

Hochul’s proposal would also grant new oversight powers to the state’s financial watchdog and create a fund that would allow the New York City Council, the city comptroller and the public advocate the authority to use outside counsel to sue the federal government on matters that fall under their respective jurisdictions if the administration is unwilling to sue.

All New York City agencies are currently represented by the corporation counsel and already have the power to sue independently from the administration.

City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running against Adams in the upcoming June mayoral primary, commended Hochul’s proposals, saying he plans to use the newly proposed powers given to his office should they be enacted through legislation.

“While the best solution to restore public trust would be for Mayor Adams to resign and to keep the four deputy mayors in place instead, Governor Hochul’s new guardrails are useful to keep New York City moving forward in these precarious times,” Lander said in a statement.

The governor’s guardrails are far from set in stone – most of what she proposed will be subject to legislative action. Each measure will have to be enacted through city or state legislation because the proposals require changes to the city’s charter.

If the proposals are enacted, Hochul said, they would expire at the end of the year, subject to renewal.

Adams, a former state senator, has some supporters in both legislative bodies who might take issue with granting the state oversight powers that could last beyond his administration and jeopardize the city’s independence in the future.

Although New York City relies on state funding to help pay for some of its services, the city is largely independent from the state. New York City’s $112 billion dollar budget, its laws, public schools, police force and health systems are all governed independently by the city.

It’s unclear how much support the governor’s proposal has at this point, as Adams faces significant headwinds and multiple lawmakers call for his resignation.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Mark Morales contributed to this report.

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