Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
REMARKS
Council Member Restler advocates for DOI budget independence
1:00:36
ยท
55 sec
Council Member Restler expresses strong support for granting DOI greater budget independence, similar to the model used for the Campaign Finance Board (CFB). He argues that this change is necessary to ensure DOI can effectively perform its oversight role.
- Restler criticizes the current system where the mayor's office, which is subject to DOI investigations, controls DOI's resources.
- He supports the commissioner's calls for greater budget independence and suggests this could be addressed through Charter Revision.
- Restler emphasizes that a more independent and well-resourced DOI is crucial for combating cronyism and corruption in city government.
Lincoln Restler
1:00:36
You know, the CFB is allowed to submit a budget to the city council that's essentially adopted, and the same should be true for DOI.
1:00:44
You should be able to be resourced to meet your needs, and it should be it should be funded.
1:00:50
The idea that that the mayor's office, which is the recipient of some of your investigations, is starving you of resources and not allowing you to fill your head count is totally counterproductive to you being able to do your job.
1:01:07
And and I think the incentives are are deeply misaligned.
1:01:11
So I strongly support your calls for greater budget independence, and I think that chair Brewer is right.
1:01:16
This is where we need the Charter Revision Commissions to listen.
1:01:19
You know, if if we all want to take steps to try and ensure that the cronyism and corruption that we've seen in this administration do not continue in the future, a more independent and well resourced DOI is an effective way to do so.