🔎 WHAT ARE THE 5 BALLOT PROPOSALS ABOUT?
There are five proposed amendments to the New York City Charter on the ballot this year.
They are presented as measures to make government faster and more efficient.
Read CRDC Presentation Deck Here.
1 / PUBLIC SPACE + OUTDOOR DINING
WHAT: Changes the process for approving private uses of public streets and sidewalks, including ramps, planters and sidewalk cafés.
PRO: Mandatory public hearings would become optional in many cases, and the City Council would lose its existing power to disapprove sidewalk café consents.
CON: Faster approvals may sound appealing. But reducing legally required hearings and legislative review is not simply “streamlining.” It means less formal public oversight over the use of public space.
2 / CITY CONTRACTING
WHAT: Changes City procurement rules, simplifies some contractor paperwork and removes a mandatory hearing.
Today, the City Charter sets a $100,000 threshold for public review of certain contracts not awarded through competitive sealed bidding. This proposal removes that fixed threshold from the Charter and allows the Procurement Policy Board to set the amount by rule. Three of that board’s five members are appointed by the Mayor.
PRO: Supporters say it would reduce red tape and help City contracts move more quickly.
CON:Â It changes who decides how certain large noncompetitive contracts can be approved. And despite the emphasis on helping nonprofits, the amendment itself does not create faster-payment deadlines for organizations waiting to be reimbursed by the City.
3 / STREETS + CITY PROPERTY
WHAT: Changes procedures governing street-safety projects, City-owned property, development rights and City office leases.
PRO: Some projects and property transactions would move through expedited processes, while certain City Council and City Planning Commission review powers would be eliminated.
CON: This proposal bundles very different issues into a single yes-or-no vote. You may support building a protected bike lane faster and still believe that selling public land or leasing City office space deserves legislative scrutiny. Yet voters are not allowed to decide those questions separately.
4 / BUILDING PERMITS
WHAT: Creates a centralized construction-permitting hub, expands who within the Department of Buildings can issue certain approvals, and transfers waterfront construction permitting from SBS to DOB.
PRO: A single permitting system could make an extremely fragmented process easier to navigate.
CON: A centralized portal does not eliminate the underlying permits, staffing shortages, technical reviews or conflicts among agencies. And voters are being asked to approve an entirely separate transfer of waterfront regulatory authority at the same time.
5 / RAINY DAY FUND
WHAT: Establishes a reserve target and requires the City to develop a methodology for making future Rainy Day Fund contributions.
PRO: New York should save enough money during good years to withstand recessions and emergencies.
We agree with that principle.
CON: The proposal establishes a target without requiring the City to actually reach it or make sufficient deposits.
Even the Citizens Budget Commission, one of the strongest advocates for a robust Rainy Day Fund, opposes this proposal because it believes the measure could preserve an inadequate system while creating the appearance of reform.