No Power Grab in NYC!
Vote No on Props 2-6.

Mayor Adams appointed a commission of his closest supporters and donors, including some with pending business before the city, to oversee the charter revision process. The time from the first hearing to the final vote on ballot items took place over just 7 weeks, with little public promotion and while most New Yorkers weren’t paying attention. The commission held only five public input sessions in the span of two weeks where only a handful of commissioners attended and rooms were totally empty before releasing preliminary recommendations. The final report was released just days before the commission vote, and then amended within hours before the vote – commission members didn’t even know last-minute changes had been made until they were informed at the vote meeting. The commission rubber-stamped all five questions to be placed on the November ballot.

It’s unacceptable that changes to NYC’s foundational governing document are being proposed after such a rushed, illegitimate and anti-democratic process. To allow any of these ballot initiatives to be enacted sets a dangerous precedent that will incentivize this mayor–and future mayors– to consolidate more and more unchecked power, shred checks-and-balances and make city government less responsive to the needs of New Yorkers.

The proposed charter amendments hurt basic democratic processes in New York City, and blatantly disregard the safety and rights of Black, Latinx, immigrant and all New Yorkers.  Mayor Adams is trying to sneak legislation past voters to give him and his interests (like the NYPD and the Department of Corrections) even more power than they already have and undercut the ability of the City Council to have oversight of them, which is bad for democracy and bad for New Yorkers.

Transparency, oversight and checks and balances are essential for a functional city government. We must preserve these and ensure that elected officials operate with integrity and with respect for the rule of law. Attempted power grabs like this risk weakening local democracy at a time where we need to increase democracy and democratic participation at all levels of local, state and federal government.