Statements and Letters – Citizens Union

Citizens Union Applauds Charter Revision Commission Approving an Even-Year Elections Ballot Question for this November

July 21, 2025 — Citizens Union issued the following statement from Executive Director Grace Rauh ahead of the final meeting of the 2025 Charter Revision Commission, which is expected to approve a ballot question to move New York City’s local elections to even-numbered years. This reform has long been championed by Citizens Union, which has provided the Commission with testimony, research, and comments addressing various aspects of election consolidation

Citizens Union Statement on Charter Revision Commission’s Decision to Exclude Open Primaries from 2025 Ballot Proposals

July 16, 2025 - Citizens Union issued the following statement from Board Chairman John Avlon in response to a statement from Richard R. Buery, Jr., Chair of the 2025 New York City Charter Revision Commission, on the Commission’s decision not to consider the question of open primaries

Statement from Citizens Union on Council Passage of Critical NYPD Oversight Legislation

July 15, 2025 – Citizens Union Executive Director Grace Rauh issued the following statement in response to the passage of Intro 1020-2024 by the New York City Council:

Statement from Citizens Union in Response to Former NYPD Chiefs’ Civil Lawsuits Alleging Culture of Corruption and Retaliation

July 9, 2025 - Citizens Union issued the following statement from Executive Director Grace Rauh in response to reports of civil lawsuits filed by high-ranking former NYPD chiefs against Mayor Eric Adams and top Police Department officials alleging patterns of corruption and retaliation in the Department

Citizens Union Applauds Charter Revision Commission for Advancing Even Year Election Ballot Question; Urges it to Endorse Open Primary Reform as Well

July 1, 2025 - Citizens Union issued the following statement from Executive Director Grace Rauh in response to the release of the 2025 Charter Revision Commission’s interim final report

Testimony before the City Council Committee on Technology Intro. 1235-2025 (Brewer)

June 26, 2025 - New York City government offers some of the most advanced tools for data transparency. Countless New Yorkers rely on platforms like NYC Open Data to find information about their city, DCP maps to learn about land use in their neighborhoods, and OpenRecords to access public records.

Citizens Union Announces Broad Candidate Support For Moving New York City Elections To Even-Numbered Years

87% of City Council Candidates Surveyed Support the Proposal Designed to Boost Voter Turnout, Along With 7 Out of 8…

Citizens Union Applauds the Charter Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy for Embracing Key Accountability Reforms in New Report

June 6, 2025 - Citizens Union today issued the following statement from Executive Director Grace Rauh in response to the updated recommendations released by the NYC Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy

Groups Urge Senate Leader Stewart-Cousins to Move FOIL Reporting Bill

May 28, 2025 - We strongly urge you to include S452 (Hoylman-Sigal), which would require state agencies to report on FOIL activity, on the Senate Rules committee agenda next week.

Citizens Union Applauds Federal Decision to Appoint Independent Leadership at Rikers

May 13, 2025 – Citizens Union has released the following statement from Director of Public Policy Ben Weinberg in response to judge Laura Taylor Swain ordering an independent outside official take control of Rikers Island from the City of New York

Citizens Union Celebrates Unanimous State Appellate Court Ruling Affirming Law Consolidating Local Elections with Even-Numbered Years

May 8, 2025 - Citizens Union has issued the following statement from Board Chairman John Avlon celebrating a unanimous New York State Appellate Court ruling affirming the constitutionality of a 2023 state law moving many county and town elections to even-numbered years, overturning a state Supreme Court decision in October that invalidated the law

Citizens Union Applauds Charter Revision Commission for Advancing Open Primaries and Even Year Elections

April 30, 2025 - Citizens Union has issued the following statement from Board Chair John Avlon applauding the Charter Revision Commission for including two transformative reforms in their report issued today: moving New York City elections to even-numbered years and implementing a top-two open primary system. These long-standing priorities of Citizens Union represent important steps toward a more inclusive, participatory, and representative local democracy:

Citizens Union Statement on Dismissal of Charges Against Mayor Adams

April 2, 2025 - Citizens Union today released the following statement from Chairman John Avlon in response to dismissal of corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams

Citizens Union Applauds Passage of City Council Resolution Urging State to Reform Charter Revision Process

March 12, 2025 - Citizens Union issued the following statement on the City Council’s passage of Reso. 740-2025 (Restler), which urges the State Legislature to pass S590 (Krueger)/A3665 (Simone), state legislation that would prevent mayors from blocking ballot questions by establishing their own charter revision commission and requiring minimum timeframes for charter commissions

Citizens Union: Eric Adams Should No Longer Be Mayor of New York City

February 19, 2025) - Mayor Eric Adams should resign from his office. His choices and actions over a sustained period of time have led to levels of ethical misconduct in City Hall unseen in decades. This has created a crisis of confidence in his ability to lead the government of our nation’s largest city and has led to the resignation of more than half of his current deputy mayors. Serious ethical lapses by the Mayor, and an absence of stability in any one of these roles, let alone all of them, threaten to undermine policymaking and the delivery of essential public services citywide.

Groups Applaud Court of Appeals Decision Upholding State Ethics Commission

February 18, 2025 - Watchdog and legal groups applauded today’s thoroughly-researched and argued decision by the NYS Court of Appeals that solidifies the constitutionality of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG). This victory for state ethics oversight will help ensure that the governor does not have undue control over the very body that ensures their conduct is ethical

Statement from Citizens Union on Former Acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon’s Resignation and Allegations Against Mayor Adams

February 14, 2025 - Citizens Union issues the following statement from Board Chair John Avlon in response to the resignation of former Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon and her letter detailing allegations against Mayor Eric Adams

Statement from Citizens Union on FEMA’s Seizure of NYC Funds

Feburary 12, 2025 - Citizens Union issues the following statement from Board Chair John Avlon in response to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) unilateral seizure of $80.5 million from New York City’s bank accounts

Statement from Citizens Union on DOJ Directive Dropping Charges Against Mayor Adams

February 10, 2025 - Citizens Union issues the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum and Board Chair John Avlon in response to the directive from the Acting Deputy Attorney General to the Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the charges against Mayor Eric Adams

Citizens Union and Reinvent Albany Call for a Real Reform in How Special Elections Are Run in New York

February 7, 2025 - Citizens Union and Reinvent Albany sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins in response to the efforts to change the special election calendar in New York.

Statement from Citizens Union in Response to Department of Investigation Report Revealing Harassment and Hostile Work Environment at the NYC Board of Elections

January 8, 2025 - Citizens Union issues the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum in response to the report released today by the Department of Investigations revealing that NYC Board of Elections Executive Director Mike Ryan harassed employees and created a hostile work environment

Statement from Citizens Union in Response to Resignation of NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey

December 21, 2024 - Citizens Union issues the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum in response to the resignation of NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey

Statement from Citizens Union on Mayor Adams’ Announcement of a New Charter Revision Commission

New York, N.Y. (December 12, 2024) - Citizens Union has issued the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum in response to Mayor Eric Adams’s announcement of the appointment of a Charter Revision Commission

Voting Rights Groups Call for City Council to Reconsider Seddio BOE Nomination

December 9, 2024 - Several good government groups and political club sent a letter to the New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and top Council officials expressing concern over the possible appointment of Frank Seddio, former chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, for Commissioner of Elections. Seddio has been nominated by the Brooklyn Democratic Party for a term that begins on January 1, 2025. A date for the confirmation has not been set.

CU Joins Coalition to Push for State Amendment to Boost NYC Voter Turnout

December 4th - In considering the resolution, the City Council can send a clear message to Albany lawmakers that New York City prioritizes an inclusive local democracy that encourages, rather than discourages, New Yorkers to vote.

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