1 week Ago
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City residents called for reforms to city government at a Charter Revision Commission meeting held Wednesday in Ocean Breeze.
Open primaries were a major focus of testimony at the event held virtually and in-person at Staten Island University Hospital’s Ocean Breeze campus. Two City Council candidates set to appear in the April 29 special election for the South Shore, Frank Morano and Cliff Hagen, were among those who testified at the meeting that lasted over two hours. Morano called out a series of “sanctuary city” reforms from the 2010s that he said show how non-representative the City Council has become.
“It’s because the City Council that passed those reforms, and I mean reforms in the worst possible sense, is so much more radical than the city that they govern,“ Morano said. ”You had about 30% of New Yorkers vote for Republican for mayor in the last two election cycles, and yet you have a situation where there’s only about 10% representation of Republicans on the City Council.” Morano suggested non-partisan elections in which political parties aren’t listed could offer a possible solution.
The April 29 special election race among Morano, Hagen, and Griffin Fossella will be decided on a non-partisan basis, and Morano suggested expanding that practice to all City Council races could provide better representation to voters in the five boroughs. Multiple other people who testified at Wednesday’s event called for non-partisan elections or open primaries, which would allow for universal participation in primary races, but it’s unclear how far those calls will get. Members of New York City’s political establishment on both sides of the aisle have long opposed open primaries and non-partisan elections.
Hagen’s testimony was focused on concerns about over development on Staten Island, and protections found in the Uniform Land Use Review process and the unofficial City Council practice of “member deference.” That practice has seen the 51-member body vote with a representative member on land use questions in their districts, but the practice hasn’t always been followed. For example, 2021 saw the Council buck former Councilmember Ben Kallos, who was opposed to a rezoning of the New York Blood Center on the Upper East Side.
Nevertheless, Hagen, a Staten Island educator and environmentalist, called on the commission to preserve the Uniform Land Use Review Process, also known as ULURP, and member deference. “I have spent more than 20 years fighting against the over development of Staten Island, and it has been ULURP, which has allowed me and our community to speak up and push back against unwanted, unnecessary, unchecked development in our community,” he said “This Charter Revision Commission must not minimize our voice, must not minimize the responsibilities of the community board, nor minimize the strength of council member representation.” Mayor Eric Adams called the Charter Revision Commission in December just a few months after a previous Charter Revision Commission finished its work.
Initially, this Commission, which includes former State Sen. Diane Savino, was to focus on housing, but has since had its mandate expanded to all of city government. The City Charter is the document establishing government in the five boroughs, similar to the U.
S. Constitution, but on a municipal level. Charter Revision Commissions are tasked with reviewing the Charter and proposing changes, which will then be decided by city voters in the November election.
Critics have largely viewed the Adams’ establishment of his Commissions as a political effort aimed at blocking an emboldened City Council, which wants to make some changes of its own to the City Charter. Another Staten Island meeting of the Charter Revision Commission will be held Monday, June 23, starting at 5 p.m.
at the Great Hall of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terr., Livingston. More from city hall.
