Eric Adams' handpicked charter revision commission is moving ahead on its own steam, announcing public hearings that start next Wednesday even though Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not funded the panel or publicly backed it. The 13-member commission was convened on Adams' final day in office and is eyeing wide-ranging changes that could affect party primaries, hate-crime rules and land-use law. Even if the commission approves proposals, New Yorkers would still have to sign off at the ballot box, followed by a separate public outreach effort to explain what is on the table.
In a public notice published Wednesday, the commission laid out four upcoming borough hearings, and Kayla Mamelak Altus, Adams' former press secretary and now a commission member, cast the sessions as a chance for regular New Yorkers to weigh in, according to NY1. Altus said the venues were being provided to the commission at no cost and described the process as "open and transparent." The NY1 report also notes that the panel currently has 13 members and that Mamdani can still appoint two additional commissioners.
What The Commission Plans To Tackle
The commission's staff has recommended an opening agenda that includes creating open primaries, addressing antisemitism and other hate crimes, and pursuing housing and land-use reforms, as reported by City & State New York. The same report notes that the panel has tapped former first deputy mayor Randy Mastro to serve as its legal counsel on a pro-bono basis. Any amendments to the city charter would still have to be approved by voters, according to the city's charter website at Charter.nyc.
Operating Without City Backing
Mayor Mamdani's preliminary budget left out both funding and staff for the commission, which has pushed members to lean on donations, volunteers and donated venues, a setup that has alarmed some good-government groups, according to NY1. The outlet also quoted a City Hall spokesperson saying, "Our administration and the Law Department are considering all options as it relates to the Charter Revision Commission." As NY1 notes, those unresolved questions about money reach all the way to how the commission would fund any public education campaign needed to explain ballot measures to voters.
Legal Wild Card And Next Steps
There is little precedent for a charter commission created by an outgoing mayor to operate without clear support from a successor, and City & State New York warns that this structure could invite litigation if the group advances controversial ballot questions. The commission has scheduled testimony in four boroughs through June, beginning next Wednesday in the Bronx, with additional hearings planned in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens, according to City & State New York. That schedule leaves only a few weeks for commissioners to craft final proposals and for city officials to decide whether the administration will provide any formal support.
For background materials and the full slate of dates and locations, the commission's website posts documents and instructions for submitting testimony at Charter.nyc. Residents who want to be heard can find the details there. The hearings are likely to reveal just how much clout a commission appointed by a former mayor can wield when the current administration is keeping its distance in public.
