Today, watchdog and good-government groups sent a letter urging the Commission on Government Efficiency to recommend independent budgeting for the Department of Investigation and Conflicts of Interest Board. Guaranteed funding and staffing would help the agencies prevent corruption, fraud, waste, and abuse without having to fight for resources each budget cycle. The letter is signed by Citizens Union, Reinvent Albany, the Committee to Reform the State Constitution, Common Cause New York, NYPIRG, and former COIB Chair Richard Briffault.

July 9, 2026

VIA EMAIL

Members

Commission on Government Efficiency

Re: Strengthening Oversight Agencies like DOI and COIB Boosts Fair, Effective Government and Increases Bang for Taxpayer Buck

Dear Members of the Commission on Government Efficiency,

We write to strongly urge the Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) to include in its final report and ballot proposals independent budgeting for the Department of Investigation (DOI) and the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB).

These proposals are ripe for inclusion, having been studied by the City Council’s 2025 Charter Revision Commission, and are directly relevant to your mission. The core missions of DOI and COIB are to prevent corruption, fraud, waste, and abuse, and granting them greater budget independence is vital to enabling them to fulfill these missions.

Adequately funding oversight agencies is an investment in a more efficient and effective city government. Assuming NYC DOI is equally as effective as federal Inspectors General, a dollar spent on DOI saves NYC at least $18 in taxpayer dollars. If DOI is as effective as the federal Government Accountability Office, a dollar spent on DOI saves New York City $123.

FY2027 DOI Budget Shows Need for Independent Budgeting
The adopted FY2027 New York City budget continues prior cuts to DOI in staffing and overall expense funds: the expense budget was cut from $65.697 million in FY 2026 to $59.97m in FY 2027. DOI core staffing was reduced from 302 full-time staff to 288 full-time staff. The FY26-27 budget continues prior cuts to DOI, which was decimated by Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) initiatives under the Adams administration. Overall, DOI has lost more than a quarter of its baseline and intra-city funded staff – 100+ positions – since FY17.

Recommendations
We ask COGE to include the following proposals in its final report and submissions to voters, ensuring that DOI and COIB are able to devote their time and attention to their core missions, not fighting for funding every budget cycle.

Independent Budgeting and Staffing

Department of Investigation –DOI has asked for a formula giving it .07 to .08 percent of the City’s budget. The City Council’s Charter Revision Commission proposed giving DOI .06 percent of the City’s total expense budget. We urge you to give serious consideration to these proposals and ensure whatever formula is used restores DOI staffing to its prior levels.
Conflicts of Interest Board – COIB proposed to past charter commissions setting its budget at .004 percent the total net expense budget of the city. The City Council’s Charter Revision Commission proposed .0035 percent of the City’s total expense budget. We urge you to give serious consideration to these proposals and ensure whatever formula is used provides COIB with sufficient staffing.
Spending protections – DOI proposed to COGE that statutory language be included to explicitly protect DOI’s ability to spend within its budget regarding hiring, salary, promotion, and other than personnel spending, without external approvals. We also support COIB being granted this authority.
Thank you for your consideration, and your work on behalf of New Yorkers.

Sincerely,

Rachael Fauss
Senior Policy Advisor
Reinvent Albany

Grace Rauh
Executive Director
Citizens Union

Evan Davis
Manager
Committee to Reform the State Constitution

Susan Lerner
Executive Director
Common Cause New York

Richard Briffault
Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation, Columbia Law School
Chair, NYC Conflicts of Interest Board, 2014-2020

Megan Ahearn
Executive Director
NYPIRG