July 18, 2024<\/p>\n
Filing is the final procedural action to advance the proposal that modernizes appointment process for voters to decide in the 2024 Election<\/em><\/p>\n City Hall, NY \u2013<\/strong> Today, Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council leadership, and Council Members filed the advice-and-consent ballot question with the New York City Board of Elections via the City Clerk, completing the final step for the proposal to appear on the November 2024 General Election ballot. The law (Int. 908-A<\/a>) was adopted after the Council passed it in a near-unanimous, bipartisan vote of 46-4 on June 6, and it will now be subject to voter approval on Election Day.<\/p>\n Council Members urged that New York City voters\u2019 right to vote on the proposal, deciding whether 20 additional agency commissioners should require advice-and-consent of the Council, be respected. Specifically, they called for the Mayor\u2019s Charter Revision Commission to avoid rushing to develop new proposals that change the City\u2019s constitution for the 2024 General Election to block New Yorkers from exercising their democratic right to vote on the existing advice-and-consent proposal.<\/p>\n The proposed language submitted for the ballot question can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAdvice-and-consent is a foundational pillar of democracy and New York City is out of step with cities and states across the nation that maintain this process to protect the public\u2019s interests against the abuse of power within our government,\u201d said Speaker Adrienne Adams<\/strong>. \u201cThe Council is filing the ballot question for voters to decide on the advice-and-consent law in this November\u2019s General Election, so voters can exercise their democratic right to vote on this existing proposal. The Mayor\u2019s Charter Revision Commission should refrain from blocking New Yorkers\u2019 ability to decide on advice-and-consent by rushing to create new proposals, because that would be undemocratic. Advice-and-consent strengthens representative democracy and government by ensuring we have the most qualified and ethical commissioners to effectively deliver the services that New Yorkers deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n Advice-and-consent is a well-established safeguard of democracy to ensure government prioritizes the public interest rather than those of individuals. It has long been used in many of the nation\u2019s cities, as well as most state governments and the federal government, making New York City an outlier. Advice-and-consent can strengthen the city\u2019s government and representative democracy by ensuring that the appointments for agency commissioners are based on qualifications and the public\u2019s interests, rather than political loyalty or other motivations.<\/p>\n The Council\u2019s advice-and-consent proposal takes an incremental approach, expanding the process to an additional 20 agency commissioners of more than 80 positions of a similar level appointed by the Mayor. The additional positions to be covered by advice-and-consent include the leaders of the departments of Health, Housing Preservation and Development, Parks, Sanitation, and Transportation. There are over 70 mayoral appointments that currently require advice-and-consent of the Council.<\/p>\n The advice-and-consent bill was introduced on May 23 and the Mayor\u2019s Charter Revision Commission held its first meeting on May 29. The Mayor\u2019s Commission has yet to produce final proposals and has established a schedule of less than two months of meetings to review the entire City Charter and propose changes to it. However, the law that authorizes the Commission allows it to operate until Election Day of 2025, providing ample time to conduct a thorough constitutional review and develop thoughtful proposals for next year\u2019s General Election. In contrast, the last Charter Revision Commission in 2019 operated for nearly eight months to review the Charter and advance proposals to the ballot.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City Council\u2019s advice-and-consent authority is nothing new,\u201d said Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala<\/strong>. \u201cAdvice-and-consent on mayoral appointments ensures that qualified and capable individuals are chosen to work on behalf of all New Yorkers. To ensure that city governance has the necessary checks and balances to promote public trust and integrity, the Mayor\u2019s Charter Revision Commission should leave this matter to the voters in November and not make any decisions to prevent from the voters from making their voices heard.\u201d <\/p>\n .<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n \u201cChecks and balances are an essential part of effective governance,\u201d said\u00a0Council Member Shahana Hanif<\/strong>. \u201cI am proud to have sponsored and voted yes on the passage of Speaker Adrienne Adams\u2019s Intro. 908, which would allow the City Council to vet more Mayoral appointments and ensure they are able to perform critical municipal roles. I strongly oppose Mayor Eric Adams\u2019s attempt to obstruct the democratic process through his sham Charter Revision Commission. It is time to let the voting public decide on this measure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n