It’s time for Zohran’s Charter Revision Commission

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani created his own Charter Revision Commission on Thursday, tasking the 15-member panel with crafting a series of government efficiency proposals to put before voters.

City & State was first to report the mayor’s plans Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, Mamdani officially announced its formation, dubbing it the Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE – a reference to the controversial Department of Government Efficiency previously helmed by Elon Musk. He tapped Patrick Gaspard, the former president of the Center for American Progress and one of the mayor’s outside advisers, to serve as its chair. Other prominent commission members include District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, former Manhattan borough president Ruth Messinger, New York State Association for Affordable Housing President Carlina Rivera, longtime government veteran Marc Shaw, de Blasio alum Emma Wolfe and Kathryn Wylde, the former president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City.  The commission also includes Marco Carrión, Susan Kang, Kapil Longani, Theodore Moore, Ana Oliveira, Dawn Pinnock, Esther Rosario and Barika Williams. Politico New York was first to report the commission’s makeup. 

The formation of the new commission comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators included a provision in the state budget that allowed Mamdani to simply disband the existing Charter Revision Commission convened by former Mayor Eric Adams on his last day in office. The mayor did so on Wednesday evening, signing a measure to dismantle the group – a decision likely to spur a legal challenge from the panel, which former first deputy mayor Randy Mastro is providing pro bono legal representation to. Prior to Mamdani taking action, Kayla Mamelak Altus, a spokesperson for the commission, said the group will “pursue all appropriate legal remedies” if the mayor attempts to dismantle it. 

That commission, composed of many of Adams’ allies and former staffers, has so far barreled forward without the support of the Mamdani administration despite the mounting opposition. Days after announcing it would focus on issues like fighting antisemitism, housing and land use reforms, protester interference outside of houses of worship, barring elected officials from raising their own salaries and opening up the city’s primary elections, the group convened for its first public hearing Wednesday night at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Questions about its legality and feasibility have circulated since the start. Now, with the passage of the state measure, and Mamdani moving to dismantle it, its future appears even more unlikely. 

Mamdani’s commission could come at a political cost. When Adams convened his first Charter Revision Commission on May 21, 2024, it was harshly criticized by City Council members and good government groups as a rushed process that didn’t allow enough time to seriously consider the charter before the July deadline to get questions on the ballot. Mamdani’s commission is being formed even later, and would have even less time. The group could technically wait to introduce ballot proposals next year instead if members choose to do so, though this is unlikely. Under the City Charter, a commission can exist for a maximum of two general elections before it is automatically disbanded, according to the good government group Citizens Union.

Public hearings for Mamdani’s commission are slated to kick off on June 9. Over the next couple of months, the group is expected to hold 10 of these meetings in which members will gather input on how to potentially review the city charter. There’s little insight at this point into what proposals the commission will ultimately seek to adopt. According to the Mamdani administration, the group is expected to focus on “removing outdated bureaucratic barriers that slow infrastructure projects and delay services; equipping City agencies the authority, enforcement tools, and flexibility they need to deliver programs effectively; and modernizing government to improve efficiency and saving, reserve and budget practices.”

The creation of a new commission could also mean there are three charter revision commissions acting concurrently. There’s the latest one, there’s Adams’ – which Mamdani nullified – and there’s one convened by New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in January, 2025. That commission met and released a report, but it was blocked from placing questions on the November ballot by another, previous commission convened by Eric Adams, which took precedence. It’s unlikely that the group will make another attempt this time around.