Dear Friends,

I hope you had a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. The New Year rang in a new generation of leadership in New York City government. Right after the clock struck midnight on January 1, Eric Adams took office as the 110th Mayor in our city’s history. A few days later, Adrienne Adams officially became Speaker of the City Council. We congratulate Mayor Adams, Speaker Adams, and all the new Council Members and Borough Presidents and wish them the very best as they step into their new roles.

While new leadership may be the major theme coming into 2022, some things have remained fixtures in the civic fabric of our city for generations. This year, Citizens Union will celebrate our 125th anniversary. Since 1897, we have been working to make our city and state governments more accessible, accountable and transparent for the people of New York.

That work is underway this year. We continue to advocate for ethics reform in Albany, for a fair redistricting process, to protect and expand the right to vote and more. You’ll read more about that work in this month’s Reformer.

Best,

Betsy Gotbaum

Executive Director, Citizens Union/Citizens Union Foundation

POLICY UPDATES

Ethics Reform in Albany

New York needs a sweeping overhaul of our ethics system to restore the public’s faith in government. This month, Governor Hochul called for important ethics reforms in both her State of the State address and budget proposal.

Citizens Union supports her call to replace JCOPE with an independent and effective ethics watchdog. Additionally, Governor Hochul’s proposals for term limits and a ban on outside income for statewide elected officials also represent important reforms that will allow for turnover in government. These reforms will give New Yorkers greater confidence that elected officials are acting in the public’s interest.

For too long, Albany has been plagued by scandal. We are encouraged by Governor Hochul’s leadership on these issues and look forward to working with her and the Legislature to achieve substantial ethics reform this legislative session.

Election Reforms Advance

This month, a number of important election reforms that will make it easier for New Yorkers to vote moved forward in Albany. The legislature passed, and Governor Hochul signed into law a bill allowing New Yorkers to vote absentee in 2022.

The State Senate also passed legislation that will change the voter registration deadline to 10 days before the election and a bill to ensure college campuses have poll sites. These two bills were included in the Governor’s budget proposal, and we encourage the Assembly to pass them as soon as possible.

People-Powered Democracy:

We have an opportunity for you to make a real difference and help the Adams Administration improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. We at Citizens Union have teamed up with our Board Member Esther Fuchs and researchers at Columbia University’s Communities Speak. This project will help local officials and community-based organizations understand the challenges facing you and your community so that policy and resources can focus on your needs. Communities Speak is collecting information on the experiences of individuals, families, and small-businesses across the city through surveys and sharing that information with city government and community-based organizations.

This is where YOU come in! We need you to help by taking this anonymous survey here. Your responses will allow policymakers to better understand what your experiences and needs are, so that effective policy can be developed, and resources can be targeted to high needs communities.

Share the link with friends, family, and others in your network. The survey takes under ten minutes to complete and is completely anonymous, but don’t hesitate to reach out to us at:

Citizens Union or visit the Communities Speak website at www.communitiesspeakproject.com if you have any questions.

Development Update
On behalf of all of us at Citizens Union, THANK YOU to all those who contributed to our end of the year campaign. The work you read about in the Reformer, and so much more, is only possible because of donors like you. As with every year there will be challenges and opportunities. Your support provides the resources needed to meet the challenges and make the most of the opportunities as we work to foster transparency, accountability, accessibility, and the highest ethical standards in NYC and State government. We are honored to have you with us in 2022.

CU IN THE NEWS

Manhattan Times
12/30/21
New public safety proposals for new mayor
https://www.manhattantimesnews.com/new-public-safety-proposals-for-new-mayor-nuevas-propuestas-de-seguridad-publica-para-el-nuevo-alcalde/

New York Daily News
1/3/22
New York redistricting commission deadlocks, sends dueling maps to lawmakers
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-redistricting-commission-deadlocked-maps-sent-to-albany-20220103-pwjqfdqevfbclfifqqy7n42v7e-story.html

Queens Daily Eagle
1/11/22
Adams allows noncitizen voting bill to become law
https://queenseagle.com/all/adams-allows-noncitizen-voting-bill-to-become-law

Associated Press
1/26/22
NY lawmakers face calls for hearings on new district maps
https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-voting-legislature-albany-redistricting-3877b0ff41d121c2aabed738a89a0a8b

GOTHAM GAZETTE

Are you thankful for Gotham Gazette? We are thankful for all of our readers and supporters as we continue to cover New York government and politics like no other publication. Please support our work with a donation today.

Legislators to Introduce Bill to Reform New York City Board of Elections
https://www.gothamgazette.com/state/11045-legislators-to-introduce-new-york-city-board-of-elections-reform-bill
by Ethan Geringer-Sameth

Advice for Adrienne Adams from Her Predecessors as City Council Speaker
https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/11014-advice-adrienne-adams-predecessors-city-council-speaker
by Samar Khurshid

‘An Unprecedented Job Program’: Mayor Adams’ Promise to Overhaul Workforce Development in New York City
https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/11023-mayor-eric-adams-workforce-development-jobs-economy-new-york-city
by Ethan Geringer-Sameth

Max Politics Podcast: Former Deputy Mayor Vicki Been on De Blasio Era Housing Policy, Neighborhood Rezonings, & More
https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/11026-max-politics-podcast-vicki-been-de-blasio-affordable-housing-neighborhood-rezonings

Low Voter Turnout in NYC Elections is a Problem, and It Can Be Solved (opinion)
https://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/130-opinion/11004-low-voter-turnout-nyc-elections-problem-can-solve
by Frederick Schaffer

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