NYC Charter Commission Releases Preliminary Staff Report
April 29th, 2019
The New York City Charter Commission released its preliminary staff report which outlines recommendations for topics the Charter Commission should consider in more detail before making final determinations. The Charter of the City of New York (the Charter) serves as the local constitution and establishes the structure of City government. It sets forth the key institutions and processes of the City’s political system and broadly defines the authority and responsibilities of city agencies and elected officials, such as the Mayor, Council, Comptroller, Borough Presidents, and Public Advocate. The 2019 Charter Revision Commission was created by Local Law 91 of 2018, which was passed by the New York City Council on April 11, 2018, and approved by the Mayor on April 30.
The following are highlights of the preliminary staff report recommendations:
- Elections and Redistricting: The staff report suggests the commission further evaluate, with various stakeholders, the viability of moving to a Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) system – also known as instant run-off elections system – for at least some of the city-wide races. The report also recommends a timing change to the calendar for petition gathering due to the short time frame between redistricting announcement and the new primary date.
- Civilian Complaint Review Board: The report suggests the commission look into a couple of changes to the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), which reviews complaints made against police officers. The report recommends the commission make changes to the appointment of CCRB members so the city council has direct appointing authority over its nominations, rather than recommendations submitted to the Mayor. The report also recommends the commission study whether or not to require the Police Commissioner supply a written notice of the reasons why the discipline recommendations of the CCRB, which are non-binding, were not followed in all cases where the Police Commissioner deviates from recommended discipline.
- Public Advocate: The report recommends the commission consider giving the Public Advocate direct subpoena power, where currently it is required to go through a relevant city council committee.
- Uniform Land Use Review Procedure: The report makes two recommendations regarding land use that are notable. The first would establish a pre-ULURP process to increase community engagement. Currently, the process begins when an applicant files an application and the Department of City Planning certifies it. The report suggests that permitting community boards and borough presidents’ time to review the application before it is certified would allow local input to have greater impact and require applicants to engage with local interests before their application is finalized. The second major recommendation on land use is the implementation of comprehensive planning in the city to ensure that new developments are part of a broader plan that takes into account the best interests of the city.