Eric Adams administration expected to convene a second Charter Revision Commission focused on land use

The Adams administration is soon convening another charter revision commission to build on recent zoning reforms accomplished in the “City of Yes” for housing opportunity agenda, sources with knowledge told City & State. The commission could set up another conflict with the New York City Council as members prepare to roll out their own commission next year. The mayor's office didn't comment on plans for a commission.

Back in October, Politico New York reported that Hazel Dukes, a member of the mayor’s first Charter Revision Commission, confirmed discussions about mounting another commission.

Charter Revision Commissions are temporary panels convened by the mayor or the City Council tasked with updating the city’s governing document. Commissions hear from the public before crafting ballot proposals to pitch their amendments to voters. 

This would be the second time the mayor has convened a Charter Revision Commission in his first term. The first commission, convened in May, came up with five ballot proposals concerning sundry issues from the scope of Sanitation Department authority to calculating the cost of proposed City Council laws. Despite a campaign from the City Council to defeat them, voters OK’d four of the five proposals last month. 

The summertime panel was widely seen as a successful strategy to preemptively block a City Council initiative to expand their authority over mayoral appointments. Adams has denied that that was his intention.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has since taken steps to launch the council’s own Charter Revision Commission – which could potentially take up the issue of mayoral appointments, though the speaker hasn’t specified what the commission would focus on. While warring Charter Revision Commissions could lead to another race to get proposals on the ballot, the conflict between City Hall and the council this year prompted state legislators to propose a change in state law that would prevent one set of proposals from superseding another on the ballot. State Sen. Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Tony Simone hope to advance that bill in Albany next session.

The Adams administration’s move to form another charter revision commission would likely further escalate tensions between the mayor and the New York City Council. While the two governing bodies struck a compromise last month that ultimately got the Adams’ administration’s marquee housing plan across the finish line, the introduction of another charter revision commission – made as the City Council prepares to roll out its own – could re-escalate things.

“Mayor Adams’ Administration once again appears ready to politicize the Charter Revision Commission process … despite the Council opening its own commission up to the mayor,” council spokesperson Shirley Limongi said in a statement. “If announced, this only makes it more important for the state legislature to pass pending legislation that protects against mayors more interested in using Charter Revision Commissions to commit blatant smash-and-power grab robberies of our local democracy.”

This is a developing story.