New York, NY (May 28, 2026) – Citizens Union today released the following statement from Executive Director Grace Rauh in response to the announcement by Mayor Zohran Mamdani of the appointment of a new Charter Revision Commission:

“The charter revision process is a powerful and important avenue for New York City to enact meaningful change. But successful charter revision commissions must work through a thoughtful, independent process that meaningfully engages the public.

“The Charter Commission announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani intends to focus on a set of important and timely reforms, but if it seeks to put charter reform questions before voters in November, it will have less time to seek public input, conduct research, and deliberate than even the highly criticized, rushed commission established by Eric Adams in 2024.

“While promoting government efficiency is a laudable goal, the commission must show that its efforts do not come at the expense of careful research, public engagement, and transparency, which New Yorkers deserve.

“Meanwhile, the charter commission established by former Mayor Adams on his last day in office voted last night to advance a proposal for the November ballot, in an apparent effort to get ahead of Mayor Mamdani’s decision to dismantle the Adams’ commission under authority granted by a recently passed state law. The commission created by former Mayor Adams is now threatening legal action.

“This chaotic back-and-forth is the latest example of a broader pattern of misusing the charter revision process for short-term political maneuvering. We have seen five charter commissions created in just three years, leading to low attendance at hearings and growing public cynicism. It is a disservice to New Yorkers.

“Substantial guardrails are needed, including minimum timelines for charter revision commissions and an end to mayoral “bumping” power, where a mayoral commission can block other questions from reaching the ballot. All charter revision commissions should be required to conduct a thorough, open, and deliberative process that serves the public interest.”