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Issue of the Week

Charter Revision: 1999

THE LOWDOWN:

Late-Breaking News -- At a meeting late afternoon 1 September, the City Charter Revision Commission announced the following decisions:

  • All 14 of its previously-endorsed proposals (see texts, below) will be amalgamated into one omnibus Ballot Question to be placed before the voters at the November general election.
  • All but one of the proposals, if approved, will take effect January 2000. The proposal mandating a special election 60 days after a mayor's resignation would take effect January 2002, when all citywide elected officials will no longer occupy their current positions.
  • Chairman Mastro and other Commissioners indicated a desire to take up deferred issues under a new charter revision process next year.

KEY DOCUMENTS:

Charter of the City of New York - The astonishingly long, sometimes prolix, thoroughly fought-over basic constitution of the City. Most of the contents were proposed by the Charter Revision Commissions of 1988 -1989, chaired by Richard Ravitch and FAO Schwarz, Jr. An extended, even tortured, process of public debate and consultation preceded voter ratification.

Charter Revision Homepage - Backgrounds of the Commissioners, plus downloadable versions of the excellent, staff-written 250-page "Preliminary Recommendations" (revised 27 July 1999).

Charter Revision Q&A (as of 2 July 1999): Citizens Union wrote this non-partisan primer on charter revision before the current proposals were finalized, but it still serves a sturdy guide through the various legal and political thickets.

ESSENTIAL POLITICAL ROADMAP:

A Goth Gaz Exclusive! - Phillip Lentz traces the partisan political history of Charter Revision 1999 and its origins in calculations about 2000 and 2001.

THE ADVOCATES:

Letter from FAO Schwarz, Jr to Mayor Giuliani - Former Commission Chair lambastes the current effort, proposes ways out.

Joint Statements of Civic Coalition on Charter Revision - The five main good-government groups -- Citizens Union, Common Cause/NY, The City Club, NYPIRG, and Women's City Club -- issued statements in June and August criticizing the genesis, composition, and procedures of the Commission. Bottom line: way too little time for a bona-fide "examination of the whole charter."

Randy Mastro Op-Ed - The Charter Revision Commission Chair replies to his critics in an opinion piece in The NY Post.

The Women's City Club weighs in (30 August) - A close, and extremely critical, proposal-by-proposal examination of the charter amendments favored by the Commission.

Smarter Charter? - Extensive links to Charter-relevant articles and documents (but in a notably anti-Commission context).

Public Advocate's Office - Facts and opinions from Mark Green and allies.

WHAT LIES AHEAD:

Some questions to be asked September - November:

1) Will good-government groups support or oppose the proposals to cap the powers of the City Council to make budget increases in excess of the rate of inflation without the express prior agreement of the Mayor? What about the proposal to impose supermajority requirements to establish new taxes or raise new ones?

2) Now that the contest has been de-Mark-Greenified, will Green allies in the Democratic Party and among the unions turn out to vote?

3) What will be the public - and private - positions of Speaker Vallone and Comptroller Hevesi?

4) Will the Hillary-for-Senate forces use the Charter referendum as a means to wound the Mayor? Will the Giuliani-for-Senate forces respond?

5) Will anyone be able to attract any critical attention to the proposals on gun locks, gun-free schools, and new government arrangements to protect immigrant rights, fight organized crime, and minimize domestic violence?


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