Council Member Phil Wong has submitted formal written testimony to the Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) — the Charter Revision Commission created by Mayor Zohran Mamdani to develop government reform proposals for the November 2026 ballot.
Wong, Co-Chair of the Council’s Common Sense Caucus, called for twelve structural reforms to the New York City Charter spanning fiscal accountability, school consolidation, homeless housing policy, sanctuary city law, utility billing, property tax equity, and direct public engagement, as confirmed in a press release.
“New Yorkers need to wake up,” said Wong in a statement. “This November, there will be referendum items on the ballot that will directly impact their lives. The last two election cycles showed what happens when ordinary people stay complacent while special interests pack the hearings: they get their agenda, and the rest of us live with it. I’ve submitted my common-sense ideas to this Commission, and I’m urging every homeowner, every parent, every taxpayer in this community to do the same. Stop being complacent and start being heard. If you don’t show up, someone else will, and you won’t like what ends up on your ballot in November.”
The following statements from Wong describe the structural reforms in the formal testimony:
On the fiscal crisis:
“New York City is staring at a $10 billion budget gap built on years of budget gimmicks — chronically underbudgeting the same line items year after year while claiming balance on paper. The Charter must require honest, multi-year budget baselines. And the Rainy Day Fund needs real rules — mandatory deposits, restricted withdrawals, and a target balance — or it’s just an account name with no protection behind it.”
On schools:
“The Department of Education has a $44.6 billion budget and 22,000 fewer students than last year. At least 13 non-specialized schools have fewer than 100 students — some spending over $63,000 per pupil with poor outcomes. That money belongs in classrooms where children actually are. The Charter should require a consolidation review for those schools, and it should end the hold harmless policy that lets schools keep budgets for students they no longer serve. Two-thirds of our schools have lower enrollment than budgeted this year, and $250 million is sitting idle in their accounts. That is $250 million that should follow children to schools where they are actually being educated.”
On homeless shelter spending
“We are spending $352 a night — $128,000 a year per person — to house people in hotel rooms while working-class Queens families pay their own rent or mortgage out of pocket. The city just signed a $1.86 billion hotel contract with zero charter-level accountability for outcomes. The Charter should require cost-effectiveness reviews before the city signs those contracts and tie renewals to results.”
On the water bill backdoor tax
“When I pay my water bill, I expect that money to go to water infrastructure. Instead, $313 million in ratepayer funds is quietly being transferred to cover general city expenses. That is a backdoor tax on every homeowner and renter in this city. The Charter should prohibit it.”
On sanctuary city law
“I voted against the Safer Sanctuary Act override. I believe in protecting immigrants. I also believe the Council’s progressive majority does not have the right to block New Yorkers from voting on this. Put it on the November ballot. Let the people decide.”
On property taxes
“Queens homeowners pay effective property tax rates up to three times higher than homeowners in Manhattan. That is not a policy choice — it is a structural inequity baked into the assessment framework. Property tax hikes are a nonstarter. But property tax fairness is long overdue.”
Wong is urging District 30 residents — an area that covers Maspeth, Glendale, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Rego Park and Elmhurst — to attend the Queens COGE Public Input Session on Monday, June 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the NYC Department of Design and Construction, located at 30-30 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. Please enter at 30th Place.
Residents may also join via Zoom (or visit the link at www.nyc.gov/charter), submit written testimony online at https://tinyurl.com/COGE2026comments or by email to CharterTestimony@citycharter.nyc.gov.
Photos courtesy of the District Office of Council Member Phil Wong
