The 2018 Charter Revision Commission convened by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to Review and Revise the City Charter passed a Resolution instructing its Staff to create Ballot Proposals related to Enhancing the Municipal Campaign Finance system, Increasing Civic Engagement, and Improving the Role and Structure of the City’s 59 Community Boards.
The Charter Revision Commission has spent months fielding Testimony from Experts, Elected Officials, and Members of the Public on ways to improve the Structure and Functions of New York City’s Government. The Commission largely came to Agreement on several Proposals and Directed its Staff to Prepare Specific Ballot Questions along those lines. The Resolution was Approved with Ten Votes in Favor, One Against, and One Abstention.
Campaign Finance
The Commission proposed Separate Contribution Limits depending on whether Candidates choose to Participate in the Campaign Finance Board’s Public Matching Funds program, which currently Matches the First $175 of each Contribution at a Rate of 6-to-1.
The Commission recommended a $2,000 Contribution Limit for participating Citywide Candidates, $1,500 for Borough President Candidates, and $1,000 for City Council Candidates. For those Not Participating in the Program, the Recommended Limits were $3,500, $2,500, and $1,500 respectively. The Commission also proposed Matching the first $250 at an 8-to-1 Ratio for Citywide Offices and the first $175 at 8-to-1 for Borough President and City Council Offices. They called for earlier Disbursements of Public Funds and Increasing the Public Funds Cap from the current 55% of the Spending Limit for an Office to 75%.
Matt Gewolb, Executive Director of the Commission, said the Proposed Reforms would Reduce the “perception of corruption” that New Yorkers feel about the Current system and that had emerged in Testimony before the Commission.
Creating a Citywide Civic Engagement Commission (CEC)
This was inspired by Council Member Brad Lander’s Legislative Proposal for an Office of Civic Engagement. The proposed CEC would Launch a Citywide Participatory Budgeting program, provide Technical Expertise to Community Boards, Coordinate current Civic Engagement Initiatives carried out by City Agencies in partnership with the Public and Private Sector, as well as Promote and Aid Voter Registration and Access Efforts.
It would also be Charged with developing Initiatives for New Yorkers with Limited English Proficiency and Expanding Language Access Services in Underserved and Minority Communities. The Office would have to Collaborate with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs to Expand Voter Education and Outreach, and to ensure Adequate Interpretation Services at Polling Sites.
Changes to Community Boards
Add Ballot Questions to establish Term Limits of Four Consecutive Two-Year Terms with Staggered Implementation. The Proposal would allow Members who have Already Served for that Amount of Time to be Reappointed if they are Out of Office for a Full Term. The Commission Endorsed Reforms to the Appointment Process as well that would provide Uniformity across the Five Boroughs and called for Annual Reporting on the Composition of Community Boards and Recruitment and Selection Methods. The Measures would ensure that Community Boards are “more reflective of the communities they represent,” Gewolb said.
Commission Secretary Carlo Scissura was the Sole Dissenting Vote on the Resolution. He aired concerns that the Campaign Finance Reforms could lead to “additional burdens on the taxpayer” by Increasing the Amount of Public Funds Awarded to Candidates in each Cycle, and he also worried that the Civic Engagement Commission could potentially add “another layer of bureaucracy” for Community Boards to Navigate.
In the coming weeks, the Commission’s Staff will issue a Final Report containing the Language on the several recommended Ballot Proposals. The Commission will then meet again to Vote on the Report and to Approve the Questions before Filing them with the City Clerk before a September 7th Deadline. The Questions will be presented to Voters on the November 6th General Election Ballot.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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