To answer your direct question: no, the mayor has no authority to remove members from City Council.

But it's a bit more complicated than that:

A recall effort is practically impossible even with unlimited money and resources because of the staggering amount of signatures required to remove a city-wide elected official. Amy is clearly not going to have a sudden change of heart and resign unless there is sufficient political pressure to do so.

So far, only 2/8 of the other city council members have called for DeGise's resignation. The other 6 all ran on Fulop's ticket in 2021. They would likely follow his lead if he were to do the right thing, but he needs the blessing of the Hudson County political machine (which DeGise and her father are very influential in) to run for NJ governor in 2025.

Fulop is hoping that this story will fizzle out by that time and nobody will associate him with it. He wants to keep the support of Hudson County Dems, but stay free of the stench of the hit and run story as he eyes statewide office.