Overview
- The Commission on Government Efficiency voted unanimously on Thursday to place five charter amendments before citywide voters in November.
- One proposal would combine sidewalk and roadway dining permits, remove mandatory public hearings and City Council disapproval for sidewalk cafes, and cut approval time from about eight months to roughly two months while saving small businesses up to $1,800 in application costs.
- A bundled street-safety measure would let agency commissioners handle internal sign-offs and give the DOT discretion to fast-track bike and bus lanes, which COGE says could speed projects by about one-third, but it also groups unrelated property and leasing changes into the same question.
- A construction-permitting proposal would create a centralized hub for roughly 40 permits now handled by about 18 agencies and transfer waterfront permitting from the Department of Small Business Services to the Department of Buildings.
- The package sets a 12% rainy day fund target and directs the mayor’s budget office to publish a deposit method; City Council members and budget watchdogs say the target is too low, the measures reduce public oversight, and most changes would take effect March 1, 2027 if voters approve them.