NEW YORK \u2013 The Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), the 2026 New York City Charter Revision Commission convened by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, today launched \u201cVote on Faster Government,\u201d a public education campaign to inform New Yorkers about the five ballot proposals that will appear on the November ballot.<\/p>\n
The campaign includes a public education video<\/a> and online <\/a>information hub<\/a> (nyc.gov\/fast), with citywide PSAs launching next month. COGE will also hold briefings with stakeholders, engage community leaders through speaking engagements and roundtables, distribute educational materials directly to voters and use digital outreach to encourage New Yorkers to make their voices heard at the ballot box.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than 1,000 New Yorkers participated in public hearings this summer, sharing ideas not just about what government does but about how it does it,\u201d said Ann Cheng, Executive Director of the Commission on Government Efficiency. \u201cThe Vote on Faster Government campaign brings this work back to where it started: with New Yorkers and their ideas for a more efficient government. In the weeks ahead, COGE will work tirelessly to ensure New Yorkers know what these five proposals would do long before they enter the voting booth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhether you bike to work, own a small business or rely on non-profit services, these ballot proposals are about making sure City government works more efficiently for you,\u201d said Patrick Gaspard, Chair of the Commission on Government Efficiency. \u201cNew Yorkers have been at the very center of this process from the beginning. We listened to their experiences, brought their ideas together, and advanced five ballot proposals. Now it\u2019s up to voters to decide. Until then, our job is to make sure every voter has what they need to make an informed choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Starting September 15, the Vote on Faster Government campaign will reach New York City voters through:<\/p>\n An online information and resource hubPSAs and digital advertisingBriefings with community leaders and critical stakeholders, including New Yorkers who participated in public hearingsDigital engagement and mobilization effortsDirect grassroots outreach and canvassingPalm cards and educational materials in 13 languages<\/p>\n The Five Ballot Proposals<\/p>\n In July, following 10 public hearings, COGE voted to advance ballot proposals to New York City voters.<\/p>\n Question 1 saves small businesses time and money by making it easier to open outdoor dining and build accessible ramps.<\/p>\n Cuts the outdoor dining application process by 75%, from eight months to two monthsSaves small businesses up to $1,800 in application costs and thousands of dollars in staff timeSpeeds up the approval process for accessible entrance ramps and lifts by two months<\/p>\n Question 2 speeds up City contracting so small businesses and nonprofits can deliver services more quickly.<\/p>\n Reduces administrative burdens on small businesses and nonprofits that contract with the CitySaves City contractors like small businesses and nonprofits up to 30 days in the contracting process<\/p>\n Question 3 fast-tracks street safety projects and generates revenue from surplus City property.<\/p>\n Speeds up street safety projects, including bike lanes, by at least 33%Unlocks more than $200 million in potential City revenue through the sale of small surplus lots and unused air rights over City-owned landmarks<\/p>\n Question 4 simplifies construction permitting to speed up housing.<\/p>\n Brings 40 approvals from 18 separate offices and agencies into one place, saving builders time and frustration<\/p>\n Question 5 sets a rainy-day savings target to strengthen the City\u2019s long-term fiscal stability<\/p>\n Establishes a savings target of 12% of total tax revenue to help strengthen the City\u2019s financial position over the long term<\/p>\n \u201cThis November, New Yorkers have the opportunity to vote on five ballot provisions that will impact how our city operates and serves communities like those we represent. With so much at stake, it is crucial that voters have the resources they need to make informed decisions.\u201d said Rich Maroko, President of the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC). \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re grateful for COGE\u2019s commitment to an extensive outreach campaign so New Yorkers can understand the importance of these proposals and make their voices heard at the ballot box.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile some states and municipalities undermine the right to vote, New York City is championing it through COGE\u2019s new \u2018Vote on Faster Government\u2019 public education campaign,\u201d said Manny Pastreich, President, 32BJ SEIU. \u201cCivic engagement is essential to a thriving New York City. COGE\u2019s new civic education initiatives will help make sure New Yorkers know the essential role they play in our democracy and how to make their voices heard in making government work better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs the former Executive Director of the Department of Education’s Students in Temporary Housing office, I’ve seen city government at its best, and at its most challenged, especially when it comes to serving the New Yorkers who need it most,\u201d said Michael Hickey, Chief of Strategy and Operations for CitizensNYC. \u201cThe ‘Vote on Faster Government’ campaign kicking off today gives every New Yorker a chance to enter the ballot booth better informed, so they can decide for themselves what’s best for their families, their businesses, their communities, and their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCOGE is continuing to improve the government\u2019s ability to serve all New Yorkers with the launch of this public education resource, which provides voters with high quality and accessible information about the November ballot propositions. Such initiatives are essential for healthy civic engagement,\u201d said Emily Eisner, Acting Executive Director and Chief Economist at the Fiscal Policy Institute. \u201cThis campaign represents a small but significant effort on the part of the City\u2019s Charter Commission to improve the functioning of City Hall and the services provided to New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Commission on Government Efficiency has done tremendous work hearing from New Yorkers about cumbersome government processes, identifying where modifications to the city\u2019s charter can meaningfully improve them, and educating New Yorkers on how they can have a voice and a vote on these issues,\u201d said Catherine Vaughan, Co-Executive Director of Abundance New York. \u201cWe appreciate COGE\u2019s work to educate and inform voters about what\u2019s on the ballot, how it influences the working of government, and why it matters to their day-to-day lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur city is better off when more New Yorkers are engaged in civic life, and that includes at the ballot box,\u201d said Susan Stamler, Executive Director, United Neighborhood Houses. \u201cThroughout our history, settlement houses have believed that voter education and inspiration are essential parts of our democracy. We thank COGE for undertaking this work and for recognizing that education and outreach with community partners will only make our city stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUrban Design Forum believes that an informed and engaged public makes good urban planning possible in every corner of the city,\u201d said Guillermo G\u00f3mez, Director of Programs at Urban Design Forum. \u201cWe commend COGE for investing in this kind of civic education to ensure every voter can make their voice heard this November.\u201d<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK \u2013 The Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), the 2026 New York City Charter Revision Commission convened…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":347279,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9,56,63,65,64],"class_list":["post-347278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-new-york","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}