NEW YORK, N.Y. — Besides picking a governor and members of Congress on Tuesday, New York City voters will find five proposed City Charter changes on the back of their ballots, each aimed at making city government move faster.
The questions come from the Commission on Government Efficiency, a panel Mayor Zohran Mamdani set up this year. It held its first public meeting June 4 at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, took testimony from more than 1,000 residents at ten hearings over the summer and adopted the final ballot language at its last meeting on July 23.
Question one would trim steps and fees for restaurants seeking approval for sidewalk and roadway dining setups. The commission says that would shrink the process to two months, save restaurants up to $1,800 and end the City Council veto over those setups.
Question two would simplify city contracting, including a shorter questionnaire for vendors, which the commission estimates would cut the procurement timeline by 12%. Question three targets street safety work, reducing sign-offs for new bike and bus lanes with a goal of building them 33% faster and putting the riskiest corridors first.
Question four would move all construction permit applications into one digital system and give the Department of Buildings control of waterfront permits. Question five would set a savings target for the city rainy day fund, which voters created in 2019 without a goal.
The mayor has also drawn questions from good government groups over a $1.6 million online campaign urging residents to flip their ballots and vote on the proposals.
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