The 2025 New York City Charter Revision Commission has published its interim report, outlining five potential ballot proposals aimed at tackling pressing issues such as the housing crisis and promoting inclusivity in local elections.
Richard R. Buery, Jr., chair of the Commission, expressed optimism about the proposals, remarking, “The Commission’s interim report includes a strong set of proposals that meet the moment for New York City. Together, they can help build a more affordable city and a more responsive government.”
Among the suggestions, four focus specifically on land use reforms intended to facilitate the rapid delivery of affordable housing and support modestly sized developments.
In addition to these housing initiatives, one proposal recommends aligning city elections with even-numbered years to bolster voter turnout, while the Commission continues to assess the potential for open primaries in city races.
The comprehensive interim report follows extensive community outreach, having gathered over 26 hours of public testimony during nine hearings, along with 600 written comments from the public.
A forthcoming public hearing on July 7 aims to gather additional feedback, and written testimony will be accepted through July 15.
The Commission plans to hold a public meeting on July 21, where members will vote on the final ballot language.
**Fast Track Affordable Housing**
One of the proposals seeks to establish a fast track approval process specifically for publicly financed affordable housing projects.
This initiative would empower the Board of Standards and Appeals to streamline the zoning relief process for qualifying projects, thus reducing review times by 50% in the 12 community districts that have experienced the least affordable housing development since 2027.
This plan builds on the City Council’s 2023 Fair Housing Framework, which aims to mitigate issues related to segregation, displacement, and gentrification.
**Expedited Review for Modest Projects**
The second proposal introduces the Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP) for smaller projects, aiming to simplify the approval process for modest increases in housing stock, as well as land acquisition and disposal for affordable housing and climate resiliency initiatives.
The goal is to enable projects that the full Ulurp process currently renders too slow or cost-prohibitive.
**New ULURP Appeals Board**
The third proposal proposes substituting the mayor’s veto power over City Council land use actions with a new Appeals Board composed of the borough president, City Council speaker, and mayor.
This board would gain the authority to override Council decisions on certain land use matters, provided that at least two of the three members agree.
This change seeks to balance local input with borough-wide and citywide needs while addressing hurdles posed by the current system of “member deference.”
**Digitized City Map**
The fourth proposal envisions modernizing the City Map, which is currently maintained on over 8,000 paper maps scattered across the boroughs.
By consolidating and digitizing this map, the city aims to accelerate the approval timeline for housing and infrastructure projects, enabling more efficient and coordinated reviews.
**Even-Year Elections**
The fifth proposal advocates for moving municipal elections to even-numbered years, syncing them with presidential and statewide contests.
The Commission highlights that voter turnout typically more than doubles in even-numbered years compared to odd ones, leading to more representative elections and lowering taxpayer expenses.
Implementing this change would necessitate an amendment to the New York State Constitution.
**Open Primaries Under Review**
Finally, the Commission is soliciting additional public input regarding the concept of open primaries for city elections.
In such a system, all voters and candidates would participate in a single primary, with party affiliations indicated on the ballot.
The top two candidates would then proceed to the general election, utilizing ranked-choice voting.
The Commission has spent six months evaluating this proposal with experts in election law and is deliberating whether to present it for voter consideration.
“At public forums across the city, New Yorkers have made clear they want a government that can act with the urgency and scale that our challenges require.
These proposed reforms would provide New York with the necessary tools to address the housing crisis and take steps toward building a more affordable city,” stated Alec Schierenbeck, executive director of the Commission.
Members of the public are encouraged to voice their opinions at the July 7 hearing or submit written comments by July 15, as the Commission prepares to finalize questions for the ballot at its upcoming July 21 meeting.
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