For Immediate Release
Contact: Lauren Mannerberg, 929-553-7702, lauren@anatgerstein.com
New Report Outlines Key Measures to Boost Voter Participation, Strengthen Ethics Oversight, Establish a Clear Mayoral Removal Process, and bolster checks and balances
To read the full report, click here
New York, NY (February 24, 2025) – Citizens Union today released a new report urging both New York City Charter Revision Commissions to take decisive action to strengthen democracy and enhance government accountability. The report, published ahead of Citizens Union’s testimony before the Mayoral Commission this evening, calls for comprehensive reforms, including establishing a process to remove mayors for misconduct, implementing top-two open primary elections, moving city elections to even-numbered years, and expanding the powers and independence of the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB).
“With two charter revision commissions underway and growing public concern over City Hall scandals, now is the time to advance meaningful reforms,” said Betsy Gotbaum, Executive Director, Citizens Union. “New Yorkers deserve a government that is transparent, accountable, and responsive—one that ensures fair elections, strengthens ethics oversight, and includes clear checks and balances to prevent abuses of power.”
The report outlines 14 recommendations across three key areas: democracy and elections, checks and balances, and ethics and accountability. Key recommendations include:
Establishing a Clear Mayoral Removal Process: Recent events have underscored the lack of a viable mechanism for removing a mayor in cases of serious misconduct. Citizens Union recommends that the Charter Revision Commission create a structured, balanced removal process governed by the City Charter—rather than leaving it solely to the governor’s discretion. Citizens Union is developing a proposal that addresses the challenges of such a process while ensuring the integrity of city government and preventing prolonged leadership crises.
Implementing Top-Two Open Primary Elections: More than one million independent voters in New York City are currently excluded from primary elections, effectively preventing them from participating in the contests that determine the city’s leadership. Citizens Union advocates for a top-two primary system, which would allow all voters—regardless of party affiliation—to participate in primaries. Research shows that such systems increase electoral competition, reduce political extremism, and encourage candidates to engage a broader voter base. Surveys indicate that independent voters in New York City are eager to participate in primaries and would do so if given the opportunity.
Moving Local Elections to Even-Numbered Years: Voter turnout in New York City elections remains alarmingly low, particularly in odd-numbered years, when just over 20% of eligible voters cast a ballot. Citizens Union has long supported aligning local elections with federal and state election cycles, a proven strategy to significantly increase voter participation—especially among young voters and communities of color. Efforts are already underway to remove constitutional requirements mandating city elections in odd-numbered years. Citizens Union urges the Charter Revision Commission to examine necessary changes to the City Charter in anticipation of this potential shift.
Strengthening the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB): Despite its critical role in ensuring ethical governance, COIB has faced budget stagnation and staff cuts at a time when robust oversight is most needed. To safeguard its independence and effectiveness, Citizens Union recommends providing COIB with an independent and significantly increased budget. Additionally, COIB should be granted expanded powers, including oversight of lobbying activities, authority to correct public mischaracterizations of ethics guidance, and stronger recusal rules for officials with prior ties to clients or employers.
The full report is available here.
About Citizens Union
For over 125 years, Citizens Union has been a leading non-partisan advocate for reform, accountability, and ethics in New York City and State government. Learn more at www.citizensunion.org.
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