Good government group believes the list of commissioners included in the bill deserves more scrutiny and a case-by-case review, as it includes disparate agencies of different sizes and functions, and recommends the Police Commissioner be subject to advice and consent
New York, N.Y. (May 29, 2024) – Citizens Union submitted a testimony today a in response to proposed legislation in the New York City Council that would expand the Council’s power over the appointment of commissioners. The bill, Intro. 908-2024 (Speaker Adams) would amend the City Charter to require the advice and consent of the City Council for 21 commissioner appointments.
In the testimony, Citizens Union urges the Council not to rush through this Charter amendment process, and to allow for more time, committee meetings, and public hearings to fully consider the implications of this proposal. Intro 908-2024 was introduced on Thursday last week, less than a week before this public hearing.
By the same token, Citizens Union also urges Mayor Adams not to speed up his own efforts to amend the City Charter through a recently formed Charter Revision Commission, which, as currently set up, would not have enough time to conduct a comprehensive review of the Charter, seek meaningful public input, and draft proposals before a September 2024 deadline.
Given the short time allotted to review this proposed bill, Citizens Union could not fully consider the merits of this proposal and the impact it would have on City Government. However, we believe the list of commissioners included in the bill deserves more scrutiny and a case-by-case review, as it includes disparate agencies of different sizes and functions.
Advice and consent by legislative bodies can serve as a useful tool to bring talented leaders to top positions in a transparent process that provides consensus and accountability but can also be politicized to further the immediate interests of one branch of government over the other. The right approach depends on the circumstances of the position.
One clear omission from the list of commissioners included in this bill is the Police Commissioner. Because of the importance of the Police Commissioner and the impact of the NYPD on the daily lives of the City’s residents, Citizens Union had previously recommended that the appointment of the Police Commissioner be made subject to the advice and consent of the Council, and has repeated this recommendation in today’s testimony. A 2021 bill by Speaker Adrienne Adams (then chair of the Committee on Public Safety) proposed making such a change
To read the full testimony, please click here.