This Week in New York – Property Tax Advisory Commission Announced, Charter Revision Commission Review & An Analysis of NYC Agency Contracts

Mayor de Blasio And Speaker Johnson Announce Advisory Commission To Recommend Reforms To New York City’s Property Tax System

This week, Mayor de Blasio and New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced the members of an advisory commission to make recommendations on reforming the city’s property tax system. The commission will hold ten public meetings to seek input from the community. To read the press release, which includes a full list of the members selected to serve on commission, please click here.

Charter Revision Commission Review

The members of the Charter Revision Commission convened by Mayor de Blasio announced that their review of the Charter will focus on the following areas: voter participation and measures to improve elections, including instant runoff voting; reforms to the city’s campaign finance system; fair representation in city government, particularly through independent redistricting of City Council districts; and strengthening civic engagement, including through exploring the role of community boards. The Charter Revision Commission plans to hold three public hearings over the next month to hear testimony from experts in these areas of focus.

An Analysis of NYC Agency Contracts

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report analyzing the length of time it takes to register a contract with the City of New York. The report titled “Running Late: An Analysis of NYC Agency Contracts” made several recommendations to the procurement process including the creation of a transparent tracking system to allow vendors to view the status of their contracts. To read the comptroller’s report, please click here.