NYC Council’s Charter Commission holds hearings on curbing mayoral powers

The New York City Council Charter Revision Commission (CRC) hearings on government accountability and strengthening local democracy are underway, not to be confused with the Mayor’s CRC.

The dueling commissions kicked off last summer, when Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams went head-to-head over the advice-and-consent law, among other things.

Shortly after the law’s introduction, the mayor convened his commission to change the city’s constitution, with a particular emphasis on public safety and “fiscal responsibility,” which most saw as a surreptitious way to overturn laws and knock off ballot measures he didn’t agree with. This is a common tactic, known as “bumping,” that many former New York City mayors have used.

The council retaliated with the enactment of Local Law 121 of 2024, allowing them to convene their own CRC to ultimately limit mayoral powers in the city’s constitution. The council commission is composed of 17 commissioners, nine of whom are appointed by Speaker Adams. Others are appointed by the mayor, public advocate, comptroller, and five borough presidents. The council commission is co-chaired by District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido and New York Urban League President & CEO Arva Rice.

“These hearings have continued our effort to solicit proposals from policy experts and the public on substantial, effective amendments to the city charter,” said Garrido. “The charter is our city’s foundational document. Because the charter plays a vital role in establishing the structure

and procedures of city government, it shapes how decisions are made on a wide range of issues affecting everyday New Yorkers. The commission has been in panel to conduct a thorough review of the charter and craft proposals to be put before the voters. While this commission was convened via local law passed by the City Council, we are an independent body, [and] regardless of the merits of any proposals that can be achieved by local law, we will not likely consider any proposals that weaken local democracy.”

So far, the council’s CRC has discussed issues of land use, affordable housing, tenant protections, displacement, lack of community voice in development decisions, and transparency with the city budget.

The hearing on Monday, May 19, held on the John Jay College campus, saw testimony from electeds such as Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Councilmember Gale Brewer, Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, and State Senator Liz Krueger. They discussed their ideas for improving the mayoral removal process, the mayor’s power to appoint leaders on the Board of Corrections (BOC) and the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), and limiting the mayor’s executive and emergency powers.

“The office of the public advocate acts as a watchdog to ensure that city agencies are efficient and effective as mandated by the people of New York, as set forth in Section 24 of the New York City charter,” said Williams. “The office also investigates and resolves constituent complaints relating to the services provided by these agencies. As the second-highest ranking elected official in the city, however, my ability to fully serve New Yorkers can be undermined by the existing language.”

Williams suggested that the public advocate’s office be given timely access to documents and subpoena powers to speed up investigations and avoid lengthy lawsuits. He added in his testimony that the BOC should receive a minimum budget tied to 1% of the expense budget of the Department of Corrections (DOC), to allow for better oversight.

As the public advocate, Williams is in the unique position of being interim mayor should the current mayor resign or be removed from office. Williams didn’t testify to specific methods his office came up with for improving the mayoral removal process, but did comment on the “more strained” relationship he has with Mayor Adams since the public began calling for Adams to step down during his previous legal troubles.

“I think if the mayor had as much love for the city as he had for himself, he would have taken it upon himself to make a different decision than he did,” said Williams. “I understood what some of the struggles that people were going through, so I know it was a difficult position. I’m speaking for myself — I think the city can’t move away from the administration fast enough.”

In separate testimony, Rachael Fauss, a senior policy advisor for Reinvent Albany, spoke about her organization’s support for a two-step mayoral removal process that includes a City Council vote and a public vote from New Yorkers in a Special Removal Election. This method was first proposed by Citizens Union (CU) in their 2025 report to amend the city charter and address government overreach. Their proposal for removal is to give voters the means to hold the mayor accountable for misconduct, and is intentionally structured to avoid the pitfalls of other removal systems.

“The crisis of governance and corruption in the Adams administration has made it clear that New York needs a practical process to remove a mayor for serious misconduct,” said John Avlon, board chair of Citizens Union, in a statement. “To ensure New Yorkers have the ability to hold a mayor accountable for violating their oath of office, we need to amend the City Charter to establish an effective, honest, and fair removal process for abusing the public trust. Our proposal is strong, mandates broad consensus, and protects due process for the mayor.”

Krueger and Assemblymember Tony Simone sponsored Bill S.590/A.3665, which aims to end the bumping provision in New York City’s charter, considering it “outdated and undemocratic.”

“I distinctly remember Mayor Giuliani bumping off a voter ballot question — they didn’t want to pay for sports stadiums,” recalled Krueger. “He very much wanted to pay for, I believe it was the Yankee Stadium at that time, and so he was convinced he had to come up with some fairly ridiculous questions to go on the ballot to make sure that the voters couldn’t say, ‘Why should we spend taxpayer money to build a sports stadium for a private company?’ I know I was angry about it at the time, since I was a voter.”

Many who testified maintained that Mayor Adams should not be allowed to cancel out other public proposals, silence voters with political maneuvering, or block the council and citizen petitions from being voted on in the form of a ballot measure.

The commission has upcoming public hearings from 5 to 7 p.m. at various locations in the five boroughs. The last one meets on July 1, 2025.

Monday, June 16: Government Accountability

Wagner College, Manzulli Boardroom, 1 Campus Road, Staten Island

Tuesday, June 17: Budget Transparency

Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, 3415 Olinville Avenue, 2nd floor, the Bronx

Monday, June 23: Government Accountability

Museum of the City of New York at, Ronay Menschel Hall, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, Manhattan

Thursday, June 26: Land Use

Sunset Park Library, Community Rooms 1/2 located , 5108 4th Avenue, Brooklyn

Tuesday, July 1: Final Hearing

Queens Public Library, auditorium, 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, Queens

For more information or how to testify, go to www.thecommission.nyc/.

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