Citizens Union Proposes Charter Amendment for Mayoral Removal in New York Amid Corruption Concerns

Following recent corruption scandals and critiques of the accountability mechanisms in place, Citizens Union, a good-government group, has proposed a major update to the New York City Charter that would allow voters to remove a city mayor accused of misconduct through a special election process. According to Gothamist, this initiative comes in the wake of legal challenges surrounding Mayor Eric Adams. A federal judge recently dismissed charges against Adams, which included accusations of straw donations and misusing his position for personal gain, but not without hinting at political bargaining behind the scenes, the judge's statement indicating "Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions."

Under Citizens Union’s plan, detailed in a report analyzing removal procedures across different governments, the proposal would require a 70% vote by the City Council to bring forth removal charges against the mayor, followed by a public hearing where the mayor can defend themselves; next, an 80% Council approval would be needed to recommend removal before the matter is put to voters, all of which should take no longer than 67 days to avoid government disruption, and If the mayor were to be removed, the Charter’s current rules for succession would apply meaning the public advocate would become acting mayor, and then the vacancy would be filled through a special election, as per the Citizens Union's website.

The proposed grounds for mayoral removal are specific to misconduct, including malfeasance, neglect of duty, violation of the oath of office, or a felony conviction regarding conduct in office. Citizens Union argues that a clearly defined removal process is essential for judicious governance and democracy. "The crisis of governance and corruption in the Adams administration has made it clear that New York needs a practical process to remove a Mayor for serious misconduct,” John Avlon, Board Chairman of Citizens Union, told the press, as noted by the Citizens Union's website.

The initiative also calls for adjusting the Governor's power to remove a mayor, suggesting that state law be revised to clearly define the process and uphold the principles of Home Rule; this would provide a level of local control over the removal of city officials and ensure that the mayor retains due process rights during the investigation. This system is intended to be a hybrid approach, conducted as much by local legislative processes as by voter participation, aiming to avoid the pitfalls of recall systems seen elsewhere. "Our proposed reform gives New Yorkers the means to hold their Mayor accountable for misconduct, and is intentionally structured to avoid the pitfalls of other removal systems,” Ben Weinberg, Citizens Union’s Director of Public Policy, emphasized in the proposal, according to the same press release.

With a focus on transparency and fairness, the Citizens Union is pressing the Charter Revision Commission to adopt these recommendations and present them to New Yorkers for approval on the ballot.