There are five proposals on the ballot this year. Ballot proposals are suggested changes to the state and city’s governing documents, the State Constitution and the City Charter. Voters get to decide on the changes they want to see passed.
These ballot proposals are the culmination of 10 public hearings attended by 1,220 New Yorkers across the five boroughs, with 264 live testimonies and 603 pieces of submitted written testimony.
Statement Summaries
Still confused about the ballot proposals? We’ve got you.
We invited New Yorkers to submit statements on ballot proposals, whether you support or oppose them. We summarized the submissions we received and published those summaries below, so you can see the key arguments for and against each proposal before you make your own decisions.
We kept submissions from everyday people private, but you can see which organizations and elected officials weighed in. In some cases, we included quotations from their statements, too.
1. Speed Up Process for Granting a Revocable Consent to Use Public Spaces
Simplify process to use public space for uses such as ramps, planters, and cafes, by removing mandatory hearings and Council disapproval of sidewalk cafes, while maintaining community and Council input.
2. Reduce City Contractor Paperwork: Require Regular Meetings of Procurement Policy Board
Reduce paperwork for City contractors by authorizing Procurement Policy Board to simplify contractor questionnaire. Require quarterly meetings of the Procurement Policy Board. Remove mandatory hearing for required client services report.
3. Speed Up Street Safety Projects, Disposition of Unused City Property, Office Leasing
Simplify review of street safety projects to reduce construction timelines. Fast track disposition of unused City property with approval from City Planning Commission. Expedite leasing offices used for City workforce.
4. Simplify Building Permitting and Move Waterfront Permitting to Department of Buildings
Create centralized construction permits hub to simplify permitting. Move waterfront permitting from Department of Small Business Services to Department of Buildings. Allow construction approval by additional Department of Buildings officials.
5. Set Contribution Targets for Rainy Day Fund to Promote Sufficient Budgetary Reserves
Set target amount of money to hold in reserve funds, including rainy day fund, to address unexpected financial hardships in future years, and require development of methodology to calculate contributions.
