Mayor appears to rent chief rat-catcher to e-rat-icate metropolis rodents

A rat emerges from under a pantry.

Photo by Dean Moses

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The Mayor’s Office is looking for its own Pied Piper to rid the city of wild rodents running amok in the dirt.

Mayor Eric Adams has declared war on rats in recent weeks with new legislation aimed at starving out the bugs by drastically reducing the amount of time garbage sits on the sidewalk and working to keep the pests out in problem areas like construction sites to reduce – all in an effort to make the Big Apple squeaky clean. According to a job advertisement from the town hall, the mayor now wants to recruit his own rat tsar.

“Do you have what it takes to do the impossible? A virulent vehemence for vermin? A background in urban planning, project management or government? And most importantly, the drive, determination, and killer instincts required to battle the real enemy — New York City’s relentless rat population?” part of the listing reads.

The position is called Director of Rodent Mitigation and comes from the Deputy Mayor’s Office of Operations with a salary range of $120,000 to $170,000. The call to action also promises that “rats are going to hate this job posting. But 8.8 million New Yorkers and your city government are ready to work with you.”

The post is full of tongue-in-cheek puns and rambling language, stating that rats “must be defeated” and that applicants must be able to “dig into the depths of city government to work with agencies across the board.” Despite his scathing nature, the mayor himself ensures the job should not be undervalued, citing it as a key factor in the city’s recovery.

“I hate nothing more than rats. Getting our city clean and ridding our streets of these filthy creatures is key to our recovery,” Mayor Adams said. “If you have the drive, determination and killer instinct to fight the real enemy – New York’s relentless rat population – then your dream job awaits: New York’s Citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation. We’re looking for someone willing to dig into the depths of city government, work with agencies across the board, and travel across the five boroughs to educate, assess, and exterminate in equal measure.”

This leader of the “rat pack” is asked to be “bloodthirsty” when it comes to feeding the fleabags of the rat race. New Yorkers interested in applying for the full-time position can visit the Mayor’s Office jobs page.