COGE Releases 5 Ballot Proposals and Final Report to Make Government Work Better for New Yorkers

NEW YORK – The Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), the 2026 New York Charter Review Commission, today released five final ballot proposals to make city government work better, faster and more efficiently for New Yorkers. The ballot proposals address outdated, unnecessary and redundant requirements in the City Charter to speed up permits and contracts, save small businesses money, accelerate housing and street safety improvements, strengthen fiscal responsibility – and ultimately, build a more modern city government.

These ballot proposals, accompanying COGE’s final report, are the culmination of 10 public hearings attended by 1,220 New Yorkers across the five boroughs, with 264 live testimonies and 603 pieces of submitted written testimony. While most of COGE’s recommendations will take the form of ballot questions, COGE additionally recommended, and the City is adopting, a number of internal reforms to agency processes that will make government more efficient. COGE was also clear: speed cannot come at the cost of labor standards, safety or quality. True efficiencies are gained not by shortchanging workers, but by listening to their expertise. COGE members will vote on adoption of the final report and ballot proposals at 5 PM today in Manhattan.

The Mamdani administration also announced the continuation of COGE’s efforts in a permanent structure, to further the work of government efficiency for years to come. Due to the enthusiasm New Yorkers showed for engaging with government directly and honestly, following the November election COGE will transition from a charter revision commission to an advisory board. This advisory body will engage New Yorkers about their ideas, explore additional ideas that began to surface during the COGE process this summer and use the input of everyday New Yorkers to advise the Mayor on ongoing efficiency reforms.

“In every borough, at every hearing, New Yorkers told us again and again that they want a government that works at the same speed and efficiency that they do each day,” said Patrick Gaspard, Chair of the Commission on Government Efficiency. “From simplifying construction permitting so we can rapidly tackle the housing crisis to making it easier to offer outdoor dining, we believe these proposals would help make our city more affordable and livable for working New Yorkers. The Commission looks forward to voting on the charter reforms this week and putting our proposals before New Yorkers at the ballot box this November.”

“This Commission is proud of its effort to suggest true efficiencies for how government can function, ones gained not by shortchanging workers or small business owners but by listening to them,” said Ann Cheng, Executive Director of the Commission on Government Efficiency. “Over the past few months, this Commission has scoured the Charter to determine what could be done to modernize our government to meet the challenges our city faces with the scale and speed they require. The Commission is thankful for the hundreds of New Yorkers who testified at hearings and informed these ideas.”

Prop 1: Speed Up Timeline for Using Public Space – Including Outdoor Dining, Ramps and Benches

• Cut the eight-month outdoor dining application process by 75% (to 2 months)
• Save small businesses up to $1,800 on application costs and thousands of dollars of staff time

The Commission’s proposal would modify the revocable consent process that determines the use of public space by combining the sidewalk café and roadway dining revocable consent process into a single application and modernizing public notice requirements.

Prop 2 and related non-Charter reforms: Reform the Contracting Process to Improve Procurements, including for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Ballot prop will save up to 30 days on procurements
• Internal reforms to cut qualified nonprofit procurement time by more than half (13 months to 6)

The Commission’s proposal would reduce burdens on small businesses and nonprofits by simplifying the pre-contracting questionnaire and requiring quarterly meetings of the Procurement Policy Board (PPB) to ensure consistent and transparent regulation of the City’s procurement system. The proposal would also allow the Mayor to delegate certain contract approvals to agencies, make permanent a public comment period instead of a public hearing for contract awards and streamline the issuance of the client services plan.

Beyond ballot props, the City will also begin to move nonprofit Council discretionary awards from procurements to grants, an approach that in pilot stage has shown to cut time to payment from 10 to six months. The City will also begin to competitively procure umbrella agreements with nonprofits to create pools of qualified, pre-vetted nonprofit providers eligible to receive future project-specific task orders, helping save up to seven months off a 13-month process. When approaching procurement, COGE took seriously its commitment to the labor force, both public and private sector, and specifically formulated recommendations that preserve all existing labor standards.

Prop 3: Fast-Track Street Safety Infrastructure Including Bike Lanes, Acquisition of Office Space and Activation of City Land

• Speed up street safety projects, including bike lanes, by at least 33%
• Reduce time for sale of small plots of City land from seven months to 90 days
• Unlock more than $200 million in revenue for the City from sale of small surplus lots

The Commission’s third proposal streamlines how the City uses its own property. The proposal would simplify review of street safety projects to reduce construction timelines and allow the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation to fast-track critical street infrastructure improvements where there is an identified, immediate safety need. Additionally, this ballot question fast-tracks the sale or lease of small City properties, the air rights above landmarked City properties and the lease of office space for City workers.

Prop 4: Simplify Building Permitting

• Bring 40 approvals from 18 separate offices and agencies into one place, saving builders time and frustration

The Commission’s proposal would create a centralized permitting hub through which applicants could access and manage construction-related permits and approvals across City agencies. It would also allow additional divisions at the Department of Buildings to approve certificates of occupancy and centralize the City’s waterfront permitting process within the agency.

Prop 5 and related internal reforms: Set Contributions Goals for Rainy Day Fund to Ensure Sufficient Budgetary Reserves

• Ballot prop establishes reserves target of 12%, aimed at ensuring long-term fiscal stability
• Internal reforms commit to review standard hires and promotions within 14 days and capital project initiation applications within 40 days

The fifth ballot proposal would set a target amount of funds held in reserve –– 12% percent of the City’s total tax revenues. The proposal would also require the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Comptroller, to establish a deposit formula that would govern mandatory contributions to the rainy day fund. Beyond the ballot proposal, the City will also begin implementation of OMB service standards for the review of hirings and promotions as well as the review of capital project initiation applications.

The Commission consists of:

• Patrick Gaspard, Chair
• Ann Cheng, Executive Director
• Emma Wolfe, Vice Chair
• Susan Kang, Secretary
• Marco A. Carrión, Commissioner
• Henry A. Garrido, Commissioner
• Kapil Longani, Commissioner
• Ruth Messinger, Commissioner
• Theodore Moore, Commissioner
• Ana Oliveira, Commissioner
• Dawn Pinnock, Commissioner
• Carlina Rivera, Commissioner
• Esther Rosario, Commissioner
• Marc V. Shaw, Commissioner
• Barika X. Williams, Commissioner
• Kathryn Wylde, Commissioner

COGE's proposed amendments follow broader efforts by the Mamdani administration to make city government more efficient. Just this week, the Mayor announced Overhauling Procedures and Expanding Navigation (OPEN) for Small Business, a package of more than 50 regulatory reforms to reduce the paperwork and bureaucratic burden facing the city's roughly 180,000 small businesses. The Mayor also created Chief Savings Officers who identified $1.7 billion in savings across city government, cut red tape for housing construction through the SPEED (Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development) report and launched Public Interest Technology (PIT) Crews to deploy teams of technologists to tackle public problems with in-house digital solutions.

“All too often, “Government Efficiency” is code for gutting public services to benefit corporate greed. Real efficiency is about finding ways a government can do more and do better for its people; It’s deeply refreshing to see COGE doing exactly that,” said State Senator Jabari Brisport.

“New Yorkers deserve a government that is responsive to their needs, efficiently delivers high quality services, and works to make their lives better. I commend Mayor Mamdani on his commitment to improving the way government works. From public interest technology, to cutting red tape for small businesses, and launching the Commission on Government Efficiency, this administration is showing what it means to put the people first. I encourage everyone to engage with COGE’s report and make their voice heard in government,” said New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez.

“I'm thrilled to see that the Commission on Government Efficiency is outlining tangible steps, with the input of New Yorkers, to be taken that will help ensure our local government functions efficiently and cost effectively – whether that’s eliminating unnecessary red tape, making sure our public spaces actually work for the public, or cutting wasteful spending. I look forward to seeing the Commission’s work continue in the coming months,” said New York State Senator Julia Salazar.

“New Yorkers deserve a government that works as hard as they do,” said Assembly Member Amanda N. Septimo. “When it takes months to approve a sidewalk café, years to complete a housing project, or far too long for community organizations to secure contracts that serve our neighborhoods, everyone pays the price. I appreciate the Commission on Government Efficiency's work to identify practical reforms that make City government more responsive, transparent, and effective. These proposals give New Yorkers the opportunity to consider how we can modernize government so it delivers better results for residents, small businesses, and nonprofits across our city.”

“Democratic socialism is grounded in the simple principle that government should improve the lives of working people. I’m thrilled to see the Commission on Government Efficiency propose streamlining approval for the ramps, benches, and outdoor dining that make our streets work for everyone, and to the administration for building toward a city that all New Yorkers can be proud to call home,” said Assembly Member Claire Valdez of Queens.

“Mayor Mamdani’s Commission on Government Efficiency is proving that cutting red tape and delivering real permitting reform doesn’t have to come wrapped in far-right politics - it can be done right here in Manhattan. My office was proud to testify before COGE, and I’m glad to see it produce thoughtful ideas: a central permitting hub, faster nonprofit contracting, and bus lane projects delivered at least a third faster, so government finally moves at the speed New Yorkers deserve,” said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal.“Thank you to Mayor Mamdani, Chair Patrick Gaspard, and the entire COGE panel for their diligent, policy-driven work. This is an important juncture to decide how government delivers for Manhattanites, and I encourage all New Yorkers to turn out and vote in November.”

“COGE did something rare: it elevated government efficiency as a serious civic priority and got New Yorkers talking about how city government can and should work better. Citizens Union applauds COGE for leading this effort and starting this important public conversation,” said Grace Rauh, Executive Director of Citizens Union. “There is more structural reform to be done to modernize the infrastructure of government, and we look forward to continuing to engage on and champion the changes needed so city government can better serve New Yorkers.”

“Today our sidewalks and streets are strangled with red tape. Caught in this knot are the perpetually delayed dreams of outdoor diners, restaurant owners and workers, as well as delivery workers, who risk life and limb, navigating perilous unprotected streets. The COGE shears are out, decisively cutting this bureaucratic tangle, finally freeing New Yorkers to thrive and stay alive on the streetscapes we love,” said Meera Joshi, President of Green-Wood and former Deputy Mayor for Operations.

“My members, who prepare babies and toddlers for their next steps in life, are pillars of the communities they serve,” said Linda McPherson, President of Local 95 Head Start Employees. “When contracted Head Start providers face payment delays from the City, it leads not only to late and missing paychecks but also to the sudden closures of these facilities that New York families rely on. I'm grateful to see more streamlining of the procurement process in these ballot proposals.”

“For years, our members who provide care for the youngest New Yorkers in our city's day care centers have had their paychecks tied up in the bureaucracy of payments to contracted nonprofit organizations-- often for months at a time,” said Robert Ramos, President of Local 205 Day Care Employeesa. “These delays are unacceptable. We applaud the Committee's ballot proposals to make the City's procurement and award process more efficient so that the workers who deliver these important services are no longer left in the dark about the security of their next paycheck.”

“As a former NYCDOT borough commissioner, I am very excited about COGE’s proposals to streamline the approval process for street safety projects. Cutting unnecessary delays will help advance the Mamdani Administration’s vision of safer, more livable streets for all New Yorkers, whether they walk, bike, drive, or rely on public transit,” said Nivardo Lopez, Former NYC DOT Bronx Borough Commissioner.

“The COGE recommendations offer meaningful structural solutions while recognizing that achieving maximum impact also requires technology and business innovation. Addressing late payments will keep the doors to community-serving organizations open for 3m New Yorkers who depend on them and will ensure that the workforce gets paid on time so they can take care of their own families. 1digit congratulates COGE on its important procurement recommendations,” said Jennifer Geiling, President of 1digit, and former MOCS Deputy Director for Human Services Procurement Operations.

“PSC members and the CUNY students we serve need access to housing they can afford. The rent freeze was a promise kept, and now we’re thrilled to see COGE propose a ballot measure that would simplify and accelerate the building of more affordable housing for working class New Yorkers. PSC thanks COGE Chairman Gaspard, PSC member and COGE Secretary Susan Kang, and the rest of the commission for their efficient work,” said Jen Gaboury, First Vice President, of Professional Staff Congress/CUNY AFT Local 2334.

“Bronx businesses know firsthand how valuable a more coordinated and predictable approach to permitting and City contracting can be,” said Lisa Sorin, president of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. “We welcome the Commission’s thoughtful focus on modernizing these systems and reducing unnecessary complexity so businesses can spend more time serving customers, creating jobs and growing. Continued input from the business community will be important as these proposals move forward, and we look forward to working closely with the Commission and the administration to deliver clearer timelines, stronger agency coordination and practical results for employers across the Bronx.”

“New Yorkers deserve effective and timely government action on critical priorities from street safety to technological progress. Too often, though, excessive review and outdated procedures obstruct city action, slowing progress on a range of issues. The COGE report charts a path towards a more efficient, more effective government that can expand the range of services New Yorkers enjoy,” said Dr. Emily Eisner, Executive Director of Fiscal Policy Institute.

“Nonprofits are the backbone of New York City and they should be empowered to deliver on their mission with efficiency,” said Christine C. Quinn, President & CEO of Win. “As the city’s largest provider of shelter for families, COGE's reforms will cut through the red tape that keep us from serving families faster, meaning we can focus on what we do best. These changes will also make it easier to open accessible, affordable childcare centers, providing parents a pathway to stable jobs with steady housing. Win is grateful to the Mamdani administration for prioritizing mission over process and we look forward to seeing these reforms to fruition.”

“The United Probation Officers Association supports efforts to make City government more efficient, provided those efficiencies strengthen, not decrease the public workforce,” said Dalvanie K Powell, President of United Probation Officers Association. “Restructuring government should mean faster hiring, responsiveness, quicker promotions, better services for New Yorkers, and giving frontline public servants the tools they need to succeed while fully protecting workers’ rights and investing in the City employees who deliver necessary public service every day”

“New Yorkers took time out of their busy days to testify at this commission's hearings and make it crystal clear: they want a more efficient City government that is actually capable of getting things done. We're particularly excited about ballot proposals one and three, to speed up outdoor dining permitting and fast-track the installation of street infrastructure that will both save lives and save commuters a great deal of time. We're glad to see the Mamdani administration's willingness to strip away unnecessary red tape, so that critical street safety projects will no longer sit on the shelf for months or even years on end while New York families are navigating dangerous streets and stuck in traffic. These proposals will save lives,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives.

“Nonprofits are lifelines in communities, and can no longer operate under the status quo of antiquated processes and delayed payments and that’s why HSC is pleased to see COGE seek reforms to the Charter to simplify the procurement process and help address the chronic delays nonprofits face getting City contracts approved and paid,” said Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council. “I have testified at Charter Commissions since 2010 asking for reforms, and to see a ballot initiative that finally takes a swing at cutting red tape is a big step for the city and the nonprofits so many of us rely on. Streamlining processes like the pre-contracting questionnaire and mandating PPB meetings through charter amendment while also taking on important policy change through expanding the council discretionary grant program and beginning to use umbrella agreements to procure nonprofit services are crucial steps toward a more efficient and accountable City government. We look forward to continuing to partner to cut red tape to deliver lifesaving services to New Yorkers who will get to vote on these important changes in November.”

“Fast buses can't get here fast enough. By cutting red tape, the Mamdani administration's charter revision will help save riders lots more time even sooner,” said Betsy Plum, Executive Director of Riders Alliance. “After decades of being left behind, bus riders are eager to receive the priority we deserve both on our streets and in the way government works to improve our lives.”

“The political establishment has built a consensus that the government can only be an imposition on the lives of ordinary people. Democratic socialists have a responsibility to prove we can build a government that is responsive, efficient, and just. NYC DSA applauds Mayor Mamdani and COGE for their efforts and final report, showing the world that affordability, justice, and efficiency can go hand in hand,” said Gustavo Gordillo, Co-Chair of DSA-NYC.

“Making government work better and faster is too seldom on anyone’s agenda; congratulations to this Commission for listening to the public and finding ways to do just that,” said The Rev. Dr. Frederick Davie, Co-Chair of Interfaith Center of New York.

“On behalf of the Third Avenue BID also known as 'The Hub', I testified at two COGE hearings, which was a positive experience. The Commission members were well-informed and asked thoughtful, solutions-oriented questions. I was thrilled to see that the COGE Preliminary Report was responsive to the testimony of individuals and organizations that support small businesses and public spaces. While all the ballot proposals are important, I am particularly thrilled to see proposals streamlining the approval process for pedestrian ramps, benches, and sidewalk cafés as well as modernizing city contracting to expand opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. It is also critical that the city activate its underutilized property, such as the shuttered municipal parking garage on E 149th Street. Many opportunities exist to improve the quality of life for Bronxites and the COGE process reminds New Yorkers that government can and should work for them,” said Pedro Suarez, Executive Director of Third Ave BID.

“As someone who works closely with entrepreneurs every day, I see firsthand how unnecessary bureaucracy can slow business growth and limit opportunities. These proposed reforms are an important step toward making New York City government more efficient, more accessible, and more responsive to the needs of small businesses,” said Mariame Diallo, New York State Director of Guinea–USA Chamber of Commerce (GUSCOC). “Modernizing City contracting and reducing administrative barriers will help entrepreneurs compete fairly, create jobs, and strengthen our local economy. I commend the Commission on Government Efficiency for advancing practical reforms that support small businesses while improving how government serves New Yorkers.”

“Since day one, Mayor Mamdani's administration has been committed to making life easier in this city – for residents, small businesses, and non-profits alike,” said Ben Guttmann, Executive Director of Queens Economic Development Corporation. “The reforms proposed by COGE will do just that. These proposals will make it simpler to enjoy lunch outdoors on a sunny day, find an affordable place to live, and to cross the street safely. It's refreshing to finally see this level of attention paid to improving the quality of life in New York City.”

“New Yorkers love outdoor dining, and our small businesses shouldn’t have to navigate an eight-month bureaucratic maze to make it happen,” said Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans. “We’re thrilled to see COGE propose straightforward reforms that would cut the approval process in half, save businesses up to $1,800 in application costs plus thousands of dollars in staff time, and make it easier to create the vibrant, welcoming streets that New Yorkers want. This is exactly the kind of government efficiency we need.”

“Gotham Organization applauds the Commission’s proposal to simplify and centralize the City’s building permitting process. Anyone who has developed housing in New York understands how navigating approvals across numerous agencies adds unnecessary time, cost, and complexity to projects that our city urgently needs,” said Brian Kelly, President of the Gotham Organization. “Creating a single, coordinated permitting hub is a practical, commonsense reform that will help accelerate the delivery of affordable housing and critical infrastructure while maintaining appropriate oversight. We appreciate Mayor Mamdani and the Commission for advancing reforms that will make it easier to build the homes New Yorkers need.”

“The need to build housing in this city has never been more urgent, and it's encouraging to see an administration treating that urgency as a management problem it can actually solve,” said Annemarie Gray, Executive Director of Open New York. “The final proposals from the Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) include good steps: consolidating the 40 approvals now scattered across 18 offices and agencies into a single hub, cutting the time to sell small surplus lots from seven months to 90 days, and putting more than $200 million worth of idle City property back to work for the public. We're glad the Commission paired reforms to the city charter with a continued focus on internal process fixes, because so much of what makes it hard to deliver for New Yorkers is the small, unseen stuff that never makes headlines. Credit to the COGE team and Mayor Zohran Mamdani for committing to the often-unglamorous work of ensuring that government is a true partner in the task of building housing and bringing costs down.”

“One of the greatest barriers to building affordable housing isn't financing or construction—it's bureaucracy. Every month lost navigating approvals across multiple agencies is another month that families wait for the housing they desperately need. Creating a single, coordinated permitting process is exactly the kind of government reform that helps good projects get built faster without lowering standards,” said Kirk Goodrich, President of Monadnock Development. “That's how we begin to address New York's housing crisis.”

“At the Staten Island Business Outreach Center and the Forest Avenue Business Improvement District, we hear every day from small business owners who are frustrated by unnecessary delays, complicated permitting, and procurement processes that make it harder to grow their businesses. These proposed Charter reforms are a meaningful step toward creating a more efficient, business-friendly City Hall,” said Nina Flores, Executive Director of the Staten Island Business Outreach Center & Forest Avenue BID. “Streamlining approvals for outdoor dining, accessibility ramps, benches, and sidewalk improvements, while modernizing City contracting, will help reduce costs, eliminate unnecessary red tape, and create greater opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. When government works more efficiently, our entrepreneurs can spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time creating jobs, investing in their neighborhoods, and strengthening our local economy. We applaud the Commission on Government Efficiency for listening to the voices of the small business community and advancing reforms that have the potential to make a real difference across all five boroughs.”

“Streamlining the City's approvals, permitting, and procurement processes can reduce costs, eliminate unnecessary delays, and help deliver much-needed housing and infrastructure more quickly for New Yorkers,” said James Whelan, President of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). “We appreciate the Commission's focus on making City government work more effectively and look forward to reviewing the full proposals.”

“As a CDFI lender, we see the balance sheets. Too often, the capital we deploy in Harlem isn't financing growth — it's financing the wait for the City to pay its own invoices. When a nonprofit waits thirteen months to get paid for work, it has already been delivered, that's not a procurement issue — it's a survival issue,” said Sharon Joseph, CEO & President of Harlem Commonwealth Council. “Cutting contracting timelines from thirteen months to six returns that capital to its real purpose: building businesses, housing, and opportunity.”

“New Yorkers told the Commission on Government Efficiency what gets in the way of a thriving city, and these amendments reflect the testimony of CitizensNYC and many others,” said Julie Shapiro, CEO of CitizensNYC. “Faster, fairer business approvals and contracting means small businesses and community-based nonprofits spend less time navigating City Hall and more time serving their neighborhoods. We commend the Commission for listening, and we're proud to support these changes.”

“The Commission on Government Efficiency has identified a critical set of issues where the City has gotten in its own way—and proposed charter amendments to make it easier, faster, and cheaper to deliver what New Yorkers need. An amendment to speed up street safety projects by 33% will save time — and save lives,” said Catherine Vaughan, Executive Director of Abundance New York. “Modifying our procurement system will ensure that nonprofits delivering critical services are paid on time. And a centralized permitting hub will get much-needed housing built faster and more efficiently. We’re pleased to see COGE take on these important issues and deliver well-considered, high-impact recommendations.”

“AIA New York commends COGE for their diligent work identifying opportunities within the City Charter to improve how the city functions and drive public excellence. These five ballot questions send a clear message that the City is targeting meaningful process reforms to deliver for New Yorkers by reducing administrative burdens, expediting the delivery and activation of infrastructure and the public realm, and making it easier to do business in and with the City,” said Jesse Lazar, Executive Director of American Institute of Architects New York. “AIANY is particularly excited about the reforms to permitting to create a centralized hub for all permitting needs across multiple agencies and the commitment to streamline internal processes for capital project delivery and hiring.”

“For local mom-and-pop eateries already constricted by high costs, tight spaces, and thin margins in our communities—including many of our neighbors in Little Italy — any additional breathing (outdoor) space to help offset and lower operating pressures is a life-saver and a game-changer for these struggling small businesses,” said Wellington Z. Chen, Executive Director of the Chinatown BID/Partnership “For anyone interested in saving and supporting them we ought to examine any and all affordability options on the table.”

“New Yorkers are innovators and problem solvers, and our government should reflect that same spirit. We're excited to see Mayor Mamdani's Charter Revision Commission advancing practical reforms that modernize city government by reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, simplifying permitting, improving procurement, and helping government work more effectively,” said Julie Samuels, President and CEO of Tech:NYC. “These proposals are thoughtful first steps toward building a more responsive government and a stronger city for the people, nonprofits, and businesses that call it home.”

“For too long, outdated rules have made it harder than it needs to be to build in New York City. The Building Congress is thrilled to see COGE present concrete solutions to modernize how our City does business,” said Carlo A. Scissura, Esq. President & CEO of New York Building Congress. “Cutting nonprofit and small business procurement time by more than half, adding a formal rainy-day fund, consolidating 40 permits across 18 offices into a single hub, streamlining the use of public space, and unlocking more than $200 million in value from underutilized City property are exactly the kinds of reforms our industry has been calling for. These changes would mean builders spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time delivering the housing, infrastructure, and services that New York needs. Would we have loved to see even more? Of course! But as a former Commission Chair, I understand complex policy shifts sometimes require more time and study. We commend Mayor Mamdani, Chair Patrick Gaspard, and the Commission for tackling efficiency head-on, and we look forward to these measures going before voters this November.”

“What we call common sense reforms have the tremendous benefit of being common sense. Nobody is a diehard believer in the idea that restaurants should have to file multiple permits and testify before committees just to put tables outside of their cafe — common sense says this should be a simple process. The same goes for life saving street improvements, or the city using its land to add more housing supply. The common sense ideas in this report will make New York City’s service delivery more efficient across the board,” said Paul Williams, Executive Director for the Center for Public Enterprise.

“For Latino and immigrant-owned restaurants, outdoor dining is far more than additional tables—it is an opportunity to grow, create jobs, and welcome more customers into the neighborhoods we proudly serve. Making the permitting process more efficient allows restaurant owners to spend more time investing in their businesses and less time navigating paperwork,” said Sandra Jaquez, President of NYS Latino Restaurant Association. “Streamlining this process will help more restaurants strengthen our commercial corridors and continue serving New Yorkers. We applaud the Commission on Government Efficiency for advancing this practical, common-sense reform that makes government work better for small businesses.”

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