‘Swearing’ to speculate on next mayor

MAYOR DE BLASIO will be sworn in by Sen. Bernie Sanders Monday, kicking off his second and final term leading City Hall.

But he won’t be the only one with a hand on the Bible — he’s joined by Controller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Letitia James and pundits are already thinking about the next race for mayor — in which Stringer and James are expected to be major contenders for the Democratic nomination.

Still, both are likely to offer relatively short speeches in an affair that will be lower-key than it was four years ago, due to both its repeat nature and frigid temps for the event outside City Hall.

Hizzoner is starting his next four years with a $33,000 pay bump, bringing his salary to $258,750.

Stringer said he’ll focus in his second term on keeping the city affordable for its residents — a theme also likely to dominate his speech. “We have an affordability crisis. It’s becoming harder for everyday families to make it, and we have to be laser focused on creating a more affordable city for working people,” Stringer said in a statement.

His swearing-in will be a family affair, done by his stepfather, Carlos Cuevas. Cuevas was the first Puerto Rican to serve as New York city clerk, and was also a deputy borough president in the Bronx. Stringer will also be joined by his mom, who served as a City Council member in the 1970s, and his wife, Elyse Buxbaum.

As for the public advocate, four years ago James was sworn in by an 11-year-old homeless girl named Dasani, who was the subject of a New York Times story on shelter conditions. The population of homeless New Yorkers sleeping in shelters continued to grow under de Blasio’s administration.

This year, James’ office said, the person holding the Bible will be the Rev. Anthony L. Trufant, who leads Emmanuel Baptist Church on Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn that James attends.

“It is a great honor to take the oath of office for a second term. I look forward to continue working to serve New Yorkers for the next four years as Public Advocate,” James said.

The program is set to start at noon.