New York City may soon see a significant change in the process of removing a sitting mayor for misconduct.
A recent proposal by the NYC Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy suggests that voters could be empowered to remove mayors through a new process.
Charter Revision Commissions are temporary bodies established to review the New York City Charter, which defines the framework of governance in the city.
The latest commission met on June 6, where it proposed that the New York City Council be granted the ability to initiate the removal process against a mayor.
According to the Preliminary Staff Report, staff members recommend considering a procedure for mayoral removal beyond what is currently allowed by the Governor or the Committee on Mayoral Inability.
If this proposal were to be approved, the Council could file misconduct charges against the mayor with a supermajority vote exceeding two-thirds.
Following this, a hearing would be conducted where the mayor could respond to the charges.
The findings would then be determined by another supermajority vote, leading to a ballot question for voters on whether to remove the sitting mayor.
In contrast to the initial voting process, only a simple majority would be needed from voters to remove the mayor from office.
As it stands today, there are two current avenues for the removal of a New York City mayor.
The first is through the New York governor, who can serve a mayor with charges, providing the mayor an opportunity to defend themselves before the governor makes a decision regarding removal.
The second option entails a more intricate procedure involving an inability committee created by the City Charter.
This committee comprises the corporation counsel, the city comptroller, the City Council speaker, the borough president with the longest consecutive service, and the deputy mayor.
For a mayor’s removal by this committee, four of the five members must agree.
The NYC Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy was established by the City Council in November 2024, consisting of 17 commissioners.
Nine of these commissioners are appointed by the Council speaker, while the others are selected by the mayor, public advocate, comptroller, and the five borough presidents.
The commission is tasked with holding hearings to discuss its recommendations and will ultimately issue a final report.
Earlier in the year, Governor Kathy Hochul faced calls to remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office following directives from the U.S. Department of Justice instructing local prosecutors to dismiss federal charges against him.
However, Hochul announced that she would not exercise her authority to remove Adams, leading to a push for a new process that could empower voters directly in the future.
This proposed change represents a significant shift in local governance and could reshape the power dynamics between city officials and the electorate.
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