Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION TO PRESERVE INNOVATIONS IN GOVERNMENT

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today announced the formation of a Charter Revision Commission to make innovations in government that have occurred over the last seven- and-a-half years permanent. Former Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who served as Chair of the last Charter Revision Commission, will Chair this Commission. Fourteen other business, civic and religious leaders, most of whom served on prior Charter Revision Commissions, will also serve on the Commission, which is mandated to review and make recommendations to improve the City Charter. The Mayor outlined plans to convene a Charter Revision Commission during his State of the City address.

"In the last seven-and-a-half years, a number of initiatives and programs have been implemented to make government more accountable, more responsive, more transparent and, ultimately, more effective," the Mayor said. "However, these innovations could be watered down or eliminated altogether if they are not permanently incorporated into the City Charter. For example, while ACS has dramatically reformed the way the City provides services to and on behalf of children, the Council has refused to act on a bill to make ACS a permanent agency. As a result, a future Administration could eliminate ACS with a stroke of the pen -- and the City would revert back to a system that for years failed to serve thousands of children."

The Mayor concluded, "I'm pleased that this very qualified group of individuals has agreed to serve on the Charter Commission and I'm confident they will succeed in institutionalizing the advances we've made in improving government."

Commission Chairman Randy Mastro said, "I'm honored to serve again as Chairman of the Charter Revision Commission. I look forward to working with the members of the Commission and the public to preserve innovations in government that have enhanced the quality of life for all New Yorkers."

The New York City Charter Revision Commission members are:

• Randy Mastro - Chair; former Deputy Mayor; former Chair of Charter Revision Commission; Co-Partner-In-Charge, New York Office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
  
  
• Jonathan Ballan - Partner, Fischbein, Badillo, Wagner, Harding; Chairman of Municipal Assistance Corporation; former Board Member of Health and Hospitals Corporation.
  
  
• Amalia V. Betanzos - President, Wildcat Services Corporation; former member of New York City Board of Education; former Chair of the New York City Commission on the Status of Women; member of previous Charter Revision Commissions.
  
  
• Abraham Biderman - Executive Vice President, Lipper & Company, L.P.; former New York City Housing Commissioner and Finance Commissioner; member of previous Charter Revision Commissions.
  
  
• Imam El Hajji Izak-El Mu'eed Pasha - Malcolm Shabazz Mosque, Harlem; first Muslim Chaplain, New York City Police Department; member of a previous Charter Revision Commission.
  
  
• Dr. Rosa Gil - University Dean for Health Sciences, CUNY Office of Academic Affairs; former Chair, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation; former Special Advisor to the Mayor for Health Policy.
  
  
• Lisa Lehr - West Side Community Activist; Police Community Relations Board; West Side, Manhattan; member of a previous Charter Revision Commission.
  
  
• Yvonne Liu - Vice-President and Co-owner, Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation; member of a previous Charter Revision Commission.
  
  
• Claude Millman -Of Counsel, Solomon, Zauderer, Ellenhorn, Frischer and Sharp; former Director of Mayor's Office of Contracts; Executive Director of a previous Charter Revision Commission.
  
  
• Vincent Roberts - Consultant, Zalismah Contracting; Board Member, Afro-American Parents DayCare Centers I and II.
  
  
• Herbert Rubin - Partner, Herzfeld and Rubin; Member of the Board of Editors, New York Law Journal; member of a previous Charter Revision Commission.
  
  
• Mary C. Sansone - Founder and Executive Director, Congress of Italian-American Organizations, Inc.; member of previous Charter Revision Commissions.
  
  
• Tosano Simonetti - Executive Director of Security, McAndrews & Forbes; former First Deputy Commissioner, New York Police Department; member of previous Charter Revision Commissions.
  
  
• Marta Varela - Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
  
  
• Howard Wilson - Partner, Rosenman and Colon; Chairman of School Construction Authority; former Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation; member of a previous Charter Revision Commission.

Under State law, the Mayor of New York City is empowered to create a Charter Revision Commission. The Commission will conduct public hearings in all five boroughs. The electorate must vote to approve any Charter amendments proposed by this Commission.