DIGEST OF PUBLIC COMMENTS TO THE COMMISSION
The following is a digest of the testimony presented to the Charter Revision Commission for
consideration at the Commission’s twelve public hearings.
1
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Queens Borough Public Hearing (June 5, 2024)
Irak Cehonski
Director of Budget
Queens Borough President’s Office
- Recommends review of borough budget allocation
formula and redefining to account for population
growth.
Danielle Brecker
Community Board 2
- Supports granting more authority to community
boards.
Yiatin Chu
- Opposes City Council’s advice and consent over
mayoral appointments.
- Supports Open Primaries.
- Opposes DCP’s City of Yes and How Many Stops Act.
Lauretta Humphrey
President
Greater TriAngular Civic Association (GTCA)
- Wants additional infrastructure spending to address
water table flooding concerns.
- Against tax moratoriums for private developers.
Frank Morano
- Recommends placing non-partisan elections on ballot
for referendum.
Kimberley Comes
- Wants additional infrastructure spending to address
flooding concerns.
Sherif
- Supports open primaries.
- Wants additional infrastructure spending on
transportation, especially parking concerns.
1
Not all testimony may be included in this abstract. Testimony unrelated to the New York City Charter may be
omitted. Staff made best efforts to correctly identify the name and affiliations of all individuals presenting testimony.
Staten Island Borough Public Hearing (June 6, 2024)
Daniel L. Master, Jr.
Legal Counsel
Staten Island Borough President’s Office
- Recommends requiring City Council fiscal impact
statements to contain a statement of compliance with
fair share provision of Charter.
Michael Tannousis
NYS Assemblyperson
District 64
- Supports more community engagement in public
safety legislation.
Frank Morano
- Recommends placing non-partisan elections on ballot
for referendum.
Ann Marie Akash
- Expressed concerns on HRA's implementation of
CityFHEPS.
Mona Davids
- Supports open primaries on behalf of the NYC School
Safety Coalition.
- Against City Council advice and consent on mayoral
appointments.
- Opposes ranked choice voting in her personal capacity.
Joann Ariola
City Council Member
District 32
- Opposes partisanship in public safety laws.
Manhattan Borough Public Hearing (June 13, 2024)
Kathryn S. Wylde
President & CEO
Partnership for New York City
- Recommends language to ensure that there is
meaningful public input on fiscal legislation.
Deborah J. Glick
NYS Assemblymember
District 66
- Concerned about opportunity for public engagement in
Charter process.
James Bristow
Counsel
Intergovernmental Relations Task Force
NYC Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- Described OMB’s role in promoting fiscal
management and responsibility.
Matt Penfold
Assistant Commissioner
NYC Department of Finance (DOF)
- Described DOF’s role in promoting fiscal management
and responsibility.
Louisa Chafee
Director
Independent Budget Office (IBO)
- Recommends enhancing public accessibility of
financial impact statements.
- Proposes two-year maximum for emergency contracts.
Richard (Bo) Dietl
- Against current Council policy that impedes effective
policing
Andrew Rein
Citizens Budget Commission (CBC)
- Recommends:
i. Creating a rainy-day deposit with withdrawal
and balance rules;
ii. Establishing a retiree health benefits trust in the
Charter with rules;
iii. Strengthening legislative fiscal impact
statements requirements;
iv. Capping debt service at 15%;
v. Creating resident survey.
Edmund J. McMahon
Founding Senior Fellow
Empire Center for Public Policy
- Proposes:
i. Local laws cannot take effect unless
appropriations are identified;
ii. Appropriations with a fiscal impact of $100
million or more can take effect only if balanced
by similar reduction;
iii. Addressing underbudgeting by requiring a
budget line that forecasts year to year spending
decreases;
iv. The proceeds of long-term bonds and notes
should not be used to pay operating expenses.
Prof. Mitchell Moss
Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Policy and
Planning
New York University
- Suggests OMB and IBO should be involved in fiscal
impact statement.
Brad Lander
NYC Comptroller
- Proposes:
i. Adopting a rainy-day fund policy;
ii. Overhauling approach to infrastructure and
capital management;
iii. Mandate timeframes for each step in the
contract procurement process.
Gale A. Brewer
New York City Councilmember
District 6
- Stated further recommendations will be forthcoming.
Barbara Blair
President
Garment District Alliance
- Ensure that fair share is codified with centralized city
oversight on compliance and regularly update the fair
share criteria.
Erica Vladimir
New York State Sexual Harassment Working Group
- Recommends:
i. CCRB have an independent budget;
ii. An independent investigatory body to review
harassment and discrimination claims against
officials;
iii. Designating the First Deputy Mayor be next in
the line of succession and run on the same
ticket as the Mayor.
Jeanne Victor
New York State Equal Employment Practices
Commission (EEPC)
- Recommends:
i. Amending the Charter to require a comparative
appropriations budget model similar IBO’s
fiscal structure;
ii. Budgetary consequences for an entity's failure
to comply with EEO;
iii. Clarify which entities are subject to the EEPC.
Howard Slatkin
Executive Director
Citizens Housing and Planning Council
- Proposes adding a housing financial impact
assessment when assessing regulations on construction
and housing costs.
David Schwartz
NY Association of Wholesalers and Distributors
- Commented on illegal trafficking and sale of unused
cigarettes.
Layla Law-Gisko
City Club of New York
- Recommends prohibiting registered lobbyists from
being appointed to commissions and boards.
Ben Tocker
YAFFED
- Supports a Compulsory Education Law and vesting
the NYC Comptroller with the power to audit private
schools.
Goran Svorcan
- Amend Charter to ban private parks to ensure
universal access to nature.
Tiffany Fulton
Silent Voices United, Inc., C3
- Proposes establishing youth advisory boards.
Frank Morano
- Recommends placing non-partisan elections on ballot
for referendum.
Andrea Gordillo
Manhattan Community Board 3
- Recommends assigning more support for community
boards.
- Express disapproval of the 60-day limitation on the
shelter stay for families with the NYCPS students and
supports adding the Right to Stay to the Charter.
Bronx Borough Public Hearing (June 17, 2024)
Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
Chair of Land Use
City Council Member
District 17
- Supports expansion of DSNY's jurisdiction to allow
DSNY enforcement over sanitation violations over all
city-owned land.
Susan Lerner
Executive Director
Common Cause/New York
- Supports ranked choice voting.
- Suggests 2024 CRC defer election reform to a later
commission.
- Described alternative election reform options:
i. Open Primaries: voters can vote on all
candidates regardless of party label;
ii. Partially Closed Primaries: voters must declare
a party at the primary and will be registered to
that party in subsequent elections;
iii. Consolidate elections to years ending in even
numbers.
Ben Weinberg
Director of Public Policy
Citizens Commission
- Proposes mandated timelines for future Charter
Revision Commissions.
- Supports top-two elections: the first primary is open to
all candidates and the top two candidates advance to
the November general election.
John Ketcham
Legal Policy Fellow/Director of Cities Policy
Manhattan Institute
- Described election reform options:
i. Final Five: open primaries and top five
candidates advance to general election;
ii. Single Transferable Vote (Proportional Ranked
Choice Voting);
iii. List-Based voting;
iv. Allow endorsements to be listed on ballots;
v. Consolidate elections to even-year elections;
vi. Require emergency procurements be published
by the Comptroller for review.
Mona Davids
- Against ranked choice voting in city council elections.
- Against expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Supports terminating the Office of the Public Advocate
Melissa Mark-Viverito
Board Member
Rank the Vote NYC
- Supports ranked choice voting.
Frank Morano
- Recommends expanding ranked choice voting to
general elections and eliminating signature
requirement to get on the ballot and instead require
filing fee of 1% of the salaried office position.
Claire Stottlemyer
Legal Aid Society
- Supports greater enforcement of inmate voting rights.
Lena Cohen
Senior Policy Analyst
United Neighborhood
- Supports ranked choice voting.
- Recommends mandating set timeframes for each
contract procurement stage.
Gloria Kim
Director of Policy Research & Impact
Human Services Council
- Set timelines for Procurement Policy Board in
contracting process.
- Require Procurement Policy Board publish reports for
transparency.
- Allow vendors to collect interest if city payments are
late.
- Grant MOCS authority over agency contracts.
Pedro Suarez
Executive Director
Third Avenue Business Improvement District
- Recommends:
i. Revising city procurement process;
ii. More even distribution of methadone clinics
throughout the boroughs;
iii. Greater community involvement in land use;
iv. Clarifying which office enforces unlicensed
street vending.
Roxanne Delgado
- Against How Many Stops Act and Defund the Police.
- For eliminating community boards.
- For eliminating Office of the Public Advocate.
- Supports nonpartisan elections or expanding ranked
choice voting to general election
Michael Darryl-Torres
- Against City Council's advice and consent over
mayoral appointments.
- Against further curtailment of executive power.
Brooklyn Borough Public Hearing (June 20, 2024)
Antonio Reynoso
Brooklyn Borough President
- Expand Department of City Planning’s jurisdiction
- Creating an office to support community boards
Howard Singer
Deputy Chief of Staff
Department of Correction
- Recommends:
i. Updating Charter language to remove outdated
references;
ii. Requiring agencies be consulted in legislation
that affects their operations;
iii. Sunset clauses for all reporting bills.
Jason Shelly
Assistant Commissioner
Intergovernmental FDNY
- Recommends:
i. Updating Charter language to remove outdated
references;
ii. Requiring agencies be consulted in legislation
that affects their budgets.
Robert Barrows
Deputy Commissioner
NYPD
- Recommends:
i. Requiring agencies be consulted in legislation
that affects their operations;
ii. Greater public input in public safety
legislation;
iii. Reviewing reporting mandates.
Carolina Chavez
Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ)
- Support reforms to promote transparency and include
the voice of the community.
Jumaane Williams
Public Advocate
- Recommends:
i. Exploring what a different modality of
multiagency rapid response;
ii. More infrastructure to supplement need for
NYPD intervention;
iii. An additional number for mental health crises
besides 911.
Lincoln Restler
City Council Member
District 33
- Supports ranked choice voting and advice and consent
- Recommends:
i. Creating an office to investigate incidents of
harassment and discrimination against city
employees;
ii. Banning elected officials, commissioners, and
senior government leadership from lobbying
for two years in city government after leaving
city service.
Patrick Hendry
President
Police Benevolent Association (PBA)
- Supports greater public input in public safety
legislation.
- Allow all CCRB unfounded or unsubstantiated
complaints be scrubbed from records.
Jim Brosi
President
Uniformed Fire Officers Association
- Supports greater involvement of stakeholders in
legislative process.
- Expand fire service in areas undergoing significant
change.
Benny Boscio
Correction Officers Benevolent Association
- Supports greater involvement of union leaders in
legislative process that impacts their members.
- Opposes Local Law 42 of 2024.
Andrew Quinn
General Counsel
Sergeant Benevolent Association
- Supports greater public input in public safety
legislation.
- Opposes How Many Stops Act.
Robert Camacho
Chair
Community Board 4
- Opposes obstructions to effective policing.
Hailey Nolasco
Director of Government Relations
Center for Justice Innovation
- Supports greater public input in public safety
legislation.
Hayley Gorenberg
Friends of Prospect Park
- Amend Charter to preserve and mandate greenspace.
Paullette Healy
- Recommends creating a commission on disability.
- Requests better training of NYPD officers on de-
escalation for people with disabilities.
Dr. Kim Best
President
79
th
Precinct Community Council
- Supports greater community input to ensure
transparency and understanding of neighborhood-
specific needs in policymaking.
Minister Sherrani Perry
- Supports greater investment in in jobs, after-school,
and summer programs and gun buyback programs.
John Ricottone
First Vice President
Community Education Council, District 20
- Proposes requiring elected officials do a ride along
with public safety enforcement.
Amaury Dujardin
Public Policy Manager
Citizens Union
- Commented on the Commission's timeline.
- Supports advice and consent for agency heads.
Natasha Duncan
- Commented on the Commission's timeline
Yiatin Chu
- Against the How Many Stops Act.
- Against advice and consent for agency heads.
- Abolish the Office of the Public Advocate.
- Opposes sanctuary city policies.
Amit Pratap Shah
Member of Community Board 6
- Supports greater public input on public safety
legislation.
Jean H.
- Bring the Masking Ban to referendum.
- Opposes sanctuary city policies.
- Against the How Many Stops Act.
- Abolish the Office of Public Advocate.
Samy Feliz
- Commented on the Commission’s outreach.
- Supports the How Many Stops Act.
Maria Danzilo
New York City Rising
- Recommends community board members be elected
and have term limits.
Donghui Zang
- Against the How Many Stops Act.
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Mona Davids
- Against advice and consent for agency heads.
Minister Irene Estrade
- Against advice and consent and bail reform.
Christopher Leon Johnson
- Against the How Many Stops Act, Local Law 42 of
2024, and sanctuary city policies.
Raul Rivera
- Against the How Many Stops Act
- Abolish the Office of the Public Advocate
Francisco Marte
Founder and President
Bodega and Small Business Association
- Against “defund the police” policies.
- Supports greater transparency in legislative process.
Vishnu Mahadeo
- Expressed community concerns.
Limor Neshner
- Proposes restoring the mask ban for crowds of 50
people or more to allow identification.
Quiann Simpkins
- Against bail reform.
- Eliminate Office of the Public Advocate.
Staten Island Borough Public Hearing (June 24, 2024)
Vickie Palandino
Council Member of District 19
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Richard Flanagan
Professor
College of Staten Island
- Recommends
i. new position of elected vice-mayor;
ii. non-partisan elections at the mayoral level;
iii. direct election of community board members.
Hal Wacker
- Recommends
i. Extending ranked choice voting to all elections;
ii. Reducing city elected office terms to 2 years;
iii. Eliminating district residency limitations by
allowing voters to vote for candidates and sign
petitions to nominate any candidate regardless
of district;
iv. Reform campaign finance matching;
v. Reviving trashed votes in ranked choice voting.
Laura Sword
Chair
Staten Island Democratic Party
- Opposes open primaries.
Lois Giambrone
- Concerned about “City of Yes” policies.
Frank Morano
- Recommends nonpartisan elections.
- Make community board districts coterminous with
City Council districts.
Tony Carrasquillo
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Stephanie Prassos
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Mark Flynn
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Denise Zayas
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Queens Borough Public Hearing (June 26, 2024)
Robert Holden
Council Member
District 30
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Supports preliminary report's recommendation for
reforming fiscal impact statements.
- Supports preliminary report's recommendation for
increased public input on public safety legislation.
- Supports preliminary report's recommendation to
expand DSNY jurisdiction to clean all city-owned land
Magalie D. Austin
Executive Deputy Commissioner
Department of Design and Construction
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency;
centralizing functions will allow M/WBE to monitor
on the city level and not just at the agency level.
Michael J. Garner
Chief Business Diversity Officer
Mayor's Office of M/WBE
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency;
current functions are divided between SBS, M/WBE,
and MOCS – consolidation will focus resources.
Maya Powell
on behalf of
Council Member Nantasha Williams
- Recommends greater city investment to the NYC
Equal Employment Practices Commission (EEPC).
Samuel Padilla
Padilla Construction
(M/WBE contractor)
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency,
which will create a single point of contact; current
M/WBE contractors must navigate between too many
agencies.
Rohan DeFreitas
Crescent Consulting
(M/WBE contractor)
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency.
Everett Perry
Urban Ecospaces
(M/WBE contractor)
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency,
which will expedite contracts and payments to
M/WBE companies.
Victor Trombettas
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Joy Amanda
- Against vaccine mandate.
- Opposes removing surety bonds.
Alex Vega
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Allow recall vote for elected officials.
Claudine Thuilot
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Joi Schlapp
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Frank Morano
- Nonpartisan elections should be placed on referendum,
citing previous charter commissions have looked at the
issue.
- Supports creating an office to support community
boards' operations.
Stephanie
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Maria Danzilo
- Supports nonpartisan elections.
- Supports creating an office to support community
board operations.
- Recommends requiring future Comptrollers have a
financial background as a qualification to run for
office.
Special Hagan
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency.
- Recommends strict enforcement of M/WBE, such as
requiring commissioners’ complete performance
evaluations on M/WBE goals and banning M/WBE
companies if there is evidence of “fronting.”
Oneximo Feliz
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Supports requiring future Comptrollers have a
financial background as a qualification to run for
office.
Brooklyn Borough Public Hearing (June 27, 2024)
Michael J. Garner
Chief Business Diversity Officer
Mayor's Office of M/WBE
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency
to promote cost-effectiveness, transparency, and
accountability.
Robert Holbrook
Executive Director
Mayor’s Office of Get Stuff Built
- Proposed creating a single system to get permits for
waterfront construction, stating the current system
requires applicants to obtain permits from multiple
agencies is inefficient.
Ana Diaz
M/WBE Contractor
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency.
Barbara Blair Randall
President
Garment District Alliance
- Recommends establishing guidelines for fair share by
requiring non-profits contracted to perform city
services be counted as a city facility and requiring
agencies submit a neighborhood impact report when
proposing sites.
Daniel Golliher
Founder
Maximum New York
- Proposes changing the name of comptroller to
"Chief Financial Officer" to promote
voter education and literacy.
NYS Assembly Member
Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
Chair, Kings County Democratic Committee
- Supports creating M/WBE as an independent agency.
Kwame Amoaku
Deputy Commissioner
Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME)
- Supports transferring film permit issuance authority
from SBS to MOME.
Karl-Henry Cezar
- Commented on the Commission's timeline.
Jarryd Rauch
- Supports expanding DSNY's authority for enforcing
sanitation laws on all city-owned land.
Andrea Biro
- Supports removing the Sheriff’s Office from the
Department of Finance.
- Against removing surety bond requirement and
suggests that elected officials be required to pay for
bonds instead of the City.
Mona Davids
on behalf of the School Safety Coalition
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Minister Irene Estrada-Rukaj
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Against “defund the police” policies.
Melkis Antigua
- Raised concerns about NYCHA maintenance issues.
David Turner
- Commented on the Commission's timeline.
Frank Morano
- Recommends community board member be appointed
½ by Borough Presidents & ½ directly by City
Council members.
- Suggests that a portion of community board members
be elected in the future.
Jay Sorid
- Commented on the Commission’s timeline.
- Recommends community board members be elected.
- Proposes ULURP process have some sort of veto
process.
- Supports revising fair share to account for government
contracted entities.
Special Hagan
- Raised concerns about the fiscal cost of creating
M/WBE as an independent agency and the progress of
the M/WBE mentorship program.
Heba Khalil
Executive Director
Emgage Action-New York Chapter
- Supports ranked choice voting (RCV) and delaying
electoral reform until more data can be assessed.
Manhattan Borough Public Hearing (July 8, 2024)
Cordell Cleare
NYS Senator
District 30
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency.
- Recommends creating neighborhood Area Median
Income (AMI) to resolve the current disparities with
the current AMI calculation.
- Supports greater use of landmarking and zoning to
preserve affordable housing against private university
encroachment
Inez E. Dickens
NYS Assembly Member
District 70
- Supports creation of M/WBE agency; currently only
30% of city contracts (OMB contracts) have M/WBE
requirements.
- Wants the city contracts to be more inclusive.
Jordan J.G. Wright
NYS Assembly Member-Elect
District 70
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency.
Michael J. Garner
Chief Business Diversity Officer
Mayor's Office of M/WBE
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency.
Pauline Ann Toole
Commissioner
Department of Records and Information Services
(DORIS)
- Described the background of the Archival Records and
Research Advisory Board and the Archival Review
Board.
- Supports consolidation of the two boards for
efficiency.
Andrew Rein
Citizens Budget Committee
- Recommends:
i. Earlier introduction of fiscal impact statements
and validation by the Independent Budget
Office (IBO);
ii. Requiring explanation of causes when
estimates change by set percentages;
iii. A 5-year resident survey;
iv. Establishing withdrawal rules for the rainy-day
fund;
v. Long-term debt be limited to 15% of debt
service.
Amaury Dujardin
Public Policy Manager
Citizens Union
- Opposes CRC's preliminary report recommendations
arguing there is currently sufficient public input and
transparency in the city’s legislative process.
Kieth L.T. Wright
County Leader
Manhattan Democratic Party
- Against nonpartisan elections
- Against reforming ranked choice voting until its
impact has been assessed through more election
cycles.
Garry Anthony Johnson
Chair of Economic Development
NAACP
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency, which can pursue payment reform and better
enforcement on M/WBE contracts.
Keaton Morris
President
KW Tech Corp
(M/WBE contractor)
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency.
Jimmy Pan
Former Public Policy Director and Special Counsel
2021 Racial Justice Charter Revision Commission
- Recommends revising the Charter to bolster oversight
agencies, i.e. IBO, EEPC, CCHR, CORE.
- Against revising fiscal impact statements because it to
does not affect policy decisions
- Against altering current balance of power in New York
City government.
Adrienne Felton
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency.
- Recommends audits of older M/WBE contracts.
- Recommends revision of affordable housing lottery
system.
Marilyn Galfin
Founder of Shelter Animals
- Suggests creating new agency for animal welfare and
removing jurisdiction over animals from DOHMH
where it resides currently.
Gale A. Brewer
City Council Member
District 6
- Commented on the Commission’s timeline.
- States public safety should not be reviewed by the
Commission if CCRB is not included.
- Recommends adding more detail to units of
appropriation instead of revising fiscal impact
statements.
- Wants more funding for oversight agencies.
- Supports advice and consent for city agency heads.
Adam Roberts
Policy Director
Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP)
- Recommends fiscal impact statements include analysis
to assess financial impacts outside of government
operations.
- Recommends NYS Housing Court adopt a diversion
program to allow mediation before proceedings.
- Recommends review of New York City's façade
inspection requirements
Everett Perry
Urban Ecospaces
(M/WBE contractor)
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency.
Michael Sisitzky
Assistant Policy Director
New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)
- Commented on Commission's timeline.
- Against greater public input in public safety
legislation, arguing there is currently sufficient
opportunity.
Kai Rosenthal
Co-President
League of Women Voters
- Supports ranked choice voting (RCV) and
recommends electoral form be delayed until RCV’s
impact has been assessed through more election
cycles.
Ibrahim Xavier Johnson
- Supports greater public input in the legislative process.
- Supports granting greater authority to community
boards.
Miles Grant
- Suggests policy decisions be made by sortition –
random jury selection of public citizens into a
decision-making body.
Greg Baggett
- Proposes community board members become legacy
members after a certain number of years.
- Supports diversification of community boards.
Marsha Taylor
- Commented on Commission's outreach efforts.
- Wants more accountability from oversight agencies.
- Wants more M/WBE programs.
Alpheaus Marcus
- Wants greater accountability from the NYPD.
- Recommends NYPD disciplinary hearings be subject
to time limits.
Julius Tajiddin
- Recommends
i. Tax reform;
ii. Strengthening community boards by requiring
notice to community boards of construction
and sales of properties owned by senior
citizens;
iii. Redefining M/WBE;
iv. Expanding DSNY’s authority to clean all city-
owned land.
June Moses
- Wants greater recognition of population living below
40% area median income (AMI).
Sylvia Hunter
- Commented on Commission's outreach efforts.
Marie Gentine
- Against Local Law 18 of 2022, which requires short-
term rental hosts to register with the Mayor's Office of
Special Enforcement before renting out homes.
Chinnor Campbell
- Against additional procedures for public safety
legislation.
- Supports How Many Stops Act.
John Dillard
- Expressed interest in greater political activism.
Kaya Royal
M/WBE vendor
- Supports payment reform for M/WBE vendors.
Marlene Taylor
Primary Care Medical Provider
- Wants greater resources to address mental illness in
local neighborhoods.
Audria Lamberton
- Wants the Charter to formally recognize American
Sign Language (ASL) as a "designated citywide
language" and provide essential government serves in
ASL.
Miles
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Williams
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Supports How Many Stops Act.
- Commented on the Commission’s timeline.
Christopher Leon Johnson
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Against How Many Stops Act.
- Recommends ban on lobbyists serving on community
boards.
Susan
VOCAL-NY Civil Rights Union
- Commented on Commission's outreach efforts.
Dolina Duzant
- Suggests revision of current vendor licensing program.
- Recommends restructure of DOHMH.
- Wants rent-stabilized commercial property.
Staten Island Borough Public Hearing (July 9, 2024)
James Clinton
On behalf of Staten Island District Attorney Michael
McMahon
- Recommends any initiative that affects law
enforcement be enacted like a Charter amendment.
James Moscella
General Counsel
Detectives Endowment Association (DEA)
- Supports amendment review/input period regarding
public safety legislation.
- Proposes amendment to increase oversight over
CCRB.
Michael Ryan
Executive Director
NYC Board of Elections
- Described an overview of legislative changes enacted
since 2019 that affected elections.
Michael Arvanites
On behalf of Councilmember Kamillah Hanks
- Supports Comptroller proposal for timely payments to
non-profit City contractors.
- Proposes:
i. Increased local control and revenue streams;
ii. Allowing e-signatures for government
documents;
iii. Establishing an Office of Disaster Assistance.
Michael Trollo
Concerned Citizens of Westerleigh Civic Association
- Supports allowing public testimony and amendment
review/input period for public safety legislation.
George Tormo
Staten Island Strong
- Opposes a local migrant facility which displaced
senior facility.
- Recommends enacting a law to protect veterans and
seniors from evictions.
Salvatore Monforte
- Opposes a local migrant facility which displaced
senior facility.
Agnes Van Dina
Vice President
Oakwood Residents Association
- Proposes increasing the number of police officers
assigned to Staten Island.
- Proposes reinstating qualified immunity for police
officers.
- Proposes community board land use decisions become
mandates.
Florence Petruzzelli
- Recommends the Board of Elections clean up
deceased/moved NY voters who remain on the rolls.
- Opposes large battery facility placement on Staten
Island.
Carla Mohan
- Opposes Sanctuary City status and City of Yes.
John Felci
- Requests Commission review Sanctuary City and right
to shelter.
Bradley Tusk
Former Director to 2002 Charter Revision
Commission
- Proposes amendment to allow recall votes for judges.
Andrea Lamberton
- Proposes adding an ADA and Disability Law chapter
to the Charter, adding ASL interpretation on public
websites, and creating a Commission for the Deaf,
Liz Andrie
- Requests Commission review Sanctuary City and right
to shelter.
Frank Rapacciuolo
On behalf of Councilmember Minority Leader Joe
Borelli
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Frank Morano
- Proposes:
i. An amendment to eliminate any priority for
who can propose Charter amendments;
ii. A question on whether to convene a Charter
Revision Commission every 20 years;
iii. Community boards baseline budgets should
increased;
iv. Eliminating signature requirements to run for
office and instead requiring a filing fee;
v. A question asking whether ranked choice
voting should be extended to general elections.
Jasmine L. Robinson
District Leader
61st Assembly District
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Special Hagan
- Had questions about the implementation of the
proposed police universal training facility.
Edward Josey
President
Staten Island NAACP
- Concerned that community input is ignored regarding
placement of migrant shelters.
Bronx Borough Public Hearing (July 11, 2024)
Francisco Moya
NYC Council Member
District 21
- Supports expansion of Department of Sanitation
(DSNY) jurisdiction to clean all city-owned land.
Jason A. Otaño
General Counsel
City Council
- Against disturbing current balance of powers in City
government, especially the introduction of more
processes in relation to fiscal impact statements.
- Argues OMB and IBO can currently opine on fiscal
impact statements without creating a more formal
role.
Joshua Goodman
Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs &
Customer Experience
Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
- Explained why DSNY’s jurisdiction should be
expanded to clean all city-owned property.
Patricia Murphy
Preserve Harlem's Legacy Historic Preservation
- Argues buildings should be repurposed rather than
torn down. Wants City of Yes to consider repurposing
more.
Charles Calloway
Director of Workforce Development & Head of the
Green Institute
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
- Supports creation of M/WBE as an independent
agency to allow better monitoring of M/WBE
practices and prevent fraudulent M/WBE “fronting.”
Vanessa L. Gibson
Bronx Borough President
- Wants greater support for community boards,
proposing DCAS investigate EEO complaints and
provide training.
- Proposes abstention votes not be recorded as negative
votes and affirmative votes only be counted against
negative votes at Borough Board meetings.
Curtis Silwa
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Guardian
Angels
- Proposes Sanctuary City status be placed as a
referendum on the ballot.
Richard Lee
Director
New York City Council Finance Division
- Described the current fiscal impact statement process
where City Council relies on the administration,
OMB, and agencies to provide fiscal costs,
acknowledging City Council may disagree with fiscal
costs.
Karen Wharton
Citizen Action of New York
Democracy Coalition Coordinator
- Supports rank choice voting (RCV) continuing in
NYC.
Francisco Navarro
- Proposes:
i. Eliminating the position of the Public
Advocate;
ii. The Financial Control Board appoint the
Comptroller;
iii. Require Comptrollers to have a financial
background;
iv. Elected officials be banned from appointment
as agency heads for 2 years;
v. A simplified petition to allow citizens to place
questions on referendum.
Sharlene Jackson Mendez
Vice President
Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance
- Commented on Commission’s outreach efforts.
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary city status for
referendum.
- Against defunding the police and wants more public
input in public safety legislation.
Alejandro Madi-Cerrada
- Wants Commission’s proposals to support everyday
working citizens.
- Commented on Commission’s outreach efforts, wants
more outreach on social media.
Roxanne Delgado
- Commented on Commission’s outreach efforts.
- Supports term limits.
- Against How Many Stops Act.
- Wants affordable housing to account for inherent
disparities in calculating AMI.
- Wants more transparency and oversight of Community
Boards.
Ms. Hurley
- Wants more NYC funds to be allocated for private
school costs and to support child literacy.
John Felci
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Karl Beecher
- Commented on Commission’s outreach efforts.
- Wants building signage to be regulated to increase
visibility.
Bernadette Ferrara
President
Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Wants DCAS to provide training to community boards
- Supports greater street cleanliness.
Queens Borough Public Hearing (July 22, 2024)
Crystal Hudson
City Council Member
District 35
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Joann Ariola
City Council Member
District 32
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
City Council Member
District 14
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Julie Won
City Council Member
District 26
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Chi Ossé
City Council Member
District 36
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
City Council Member
District 34
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Sandy Nurse
City Council Member
District 37
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Shaun Abreu
City Council Member
District 7
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Shekar Krishnan
City Council Member
District 25
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Shahana Hanif
City Council Member
District 39
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
- Supports City’s sanctuary city policies.
Alexa Avilés
City Council Member
District 38
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Chris Banks
City Council Member
District 42
- Supports expansion of City Council's advice and
consent over mayoral appointments.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
Jeffrey Baker
Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislation and Policy
City Council
- Described current legislative process where public
hearings are not required but public is welcome to
submit testimony any time after a bill is introduced.
- Commented that mayoral polices, agency decisions,
and the Commission's final report do not allow public
comment.
Ariel Amaja
- Expressed concerns about ad revenue and
cybersecurity regarding digital MTA ads/LinkNYC
portals and NYPD deepfakes. Proposed revisions to
the 311 app and basketball rentals in parks.
Christopher Leon Johnson
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Phil Wong
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Yanling Zhang
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
John Song
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Albin Lepiz
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Airenakhue B. Omoragban
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
- Supports City’s sanctuary city policies.
Dorethea Willis
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Theresa M. Racine
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Mary A. Ruane
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Suggests ballot proposals be explained simply.
Thomas Willis
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Obi Afriyie
Community Organizer - Criminal Justice
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
- Critical of Commission's timeline.
- Supports City’s sanctuary city policies.
Vienna Levitan
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Sam Esposito
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Ying Tan
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Tammi Zorros
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Jeremy Woodruff
Victorian Society New York
- Proposes the Landmarks Commission be granted sole
regulatory authority over designated scenic
landmarks; currently authority is shared between the
Landmarks Commission and the Public Design
Committee
Linda Lam
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
John Schaffer
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Sarita Daftary
- Concerned with CRC timeline.
- Wants more jail oversight.
- Opposes revisions to passage of public safety
legislation.
Phyllis Inserillo
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Sally Wong
private citizen
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Sally Ann
private citizen
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Mona Davids
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
- Against City Council's policies on public safety
legislation
Candace Prince-Modeste
- Supports the How Many Stops Act.
Barbara McNamara
-
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum
-
Aracelia Cook
- Recommends placing NYC's sanctuary status for
referendum.
Melissa Inniss
- Wants ADA formally incorporated into the Charter.
- Wants ASL to be a designated city language for
translation of essential government services.
Wants a commission created for deaf affairs.
Michael Sisitzky
Assistant Policy Director
NYCLU
- Concerned with written public input deadline.
