Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
NYC Charter Revision Commission
Queens Public Input Session
May 28, 2025
·
05:00 PM
1 hr 47 min
Summary
A hearing on potential charter revisions, focusing on election reforms and procurement processes.
Discussions included moving local elections to even years, implementing open or nonpartisan primaries, expanding ranked choice voting, and strengthening the Mayor's Office of Contract Services.
The commission also heard testimony on enhancing the Civilian Complaint Review Board's oversight powers over police.
Features testimony from the Independent Budget Office (IBO, and the public.
Meeting chapters
Read summaries and watch videos for short segments that matter to you.
Commissioner Anita Laremont on the Charter Revision Commission's mission and focus areas
Commissioner Anita Laremont opens the public hearing of the Charter Revision Commission. She outlines the commission's mission to enhance city government transparency and responsiveness, with a particular focus on the …
0:00:06
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3 min
Testimony by Frank Morano, New York City Council Member, on nonpartisan ranked-choice voting
Council Member Frank Morano testifies strongly in favor of implementing nonpartisan elections with ranked-choice voting (RCV) for all New York City municipal elections. He argues this system, which he was …
0:05:05
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5 min
Testimony by Raquel Centeno, Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech Center for Science, Society, and Policy, on primary systems and voter turnout
Raquel Centeno, a postdoctoral scholar at the Caltech Center for Science, Society, and Policy, presents research on the demobilizing effect of primary electoral institutions on Asian American and Latino voters. …
0:10:45
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168 sec
Testimony by John Kaehny, Executive Director of Reinvent Albany, on election reforms including even-year elections and single-round RCV
John Kaehny, Executive Director of Reinvent Albany, commends the commission's preliminary report and urges the adoption of two key election reforms: moving to even-year elections and implementing a "vote once" …
0:13:53
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6 min
Discussion on the political strategy of a charter change for even-year elections
Commissioner Carl Weisbrod questions John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany on the benefits of a New York City charter change for even-year elections, given that it ultimately requires a state constitutional …
0:19:57
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78 sec
Testimony by Paul Johnson, Former Mayor of City of Phoenix, on the benefits of open nonpartisan primaries
Paul Johnson, former Mayor of the City of Phoenix, advocates for open, nonpartisan primary elections. He shares his experience running in both open and closed primary systems, stating that open …
0:21:33
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144 sec
Testimony by Cassandra Stewart, Lead Budget and Policy Analyst at New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO), on the fiscal impact of even-year elections
Cassandra Stewart, Lead Budget and Policy Analyst at the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO), presents findings on the fiscal impact of moving local elections from odd to even-numbered …
0:24:48
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3 min
Testimony by Kim Svoboda, Member of the Public, on the need for open primaries for independent voters
Kim Svoboda, a New York City resident and a political independent for 38 years, testifies in strong support of open primaries. She expresses her frustration at being disenfranchised from primary …
0:28:27
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91 sec
Clarification on the scope of IBO's reported savings for even-year elections
Commissioner Anthony Richardson asks Cassandra Stewart from the IBO if their report on moving elections to even years identified potential savings beyond the direct election costs, such as in Board …
0:30:12
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87 sec
Testimony by Bella Wang, Representative from League of Women Voters of New York City, on benefits of even-year elections and voter accessibility
Bella Wang, representing the League of Women Voters of New York City, testifies in support of moving local elections to even-numbered years. She argues this change would promote a more …
0:32:08
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3 min
Testimony by Richard Fox, Volunteer from Open Primaries, on adopting nonpartisan primary elections
Richard Fox, a volunteer with Open Primaries and a Brooklyn resident, advocates for New York City to adopt nonpartisan primary elections. He argues that such a system would ensure candidates …
0:35:42
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133 sec
Discussion on voter inclusivity and attention to local issues in even-year elections
Chair Richard Buery questions Bella Wang of the League of Women Voters about research supporting claims that even-year elections increase inclusivity, particularly for renters, and addresses concerns that local issues …
0:37:58
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163 sec
Clarification on nonpartisan primaries versus other election reform models
Commissioner Anita Laremont asks Richard Fox, a volunteer with the organization Open Primaries, to clarify his preference between open primaries and single-round ranked-choice voting. Fox explains he advocates for nonpartisan …
0:40:45
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64 sec
Inquiry into statistical evidence for increased voter inclusivity with even-year elections
Commissioner Valerie White requests specific data from Bella Wang of the League of Women Voters regarding increased voter inclusivity (racial, youth, renters) from even-year elections. Wang cites California research on …
0:41:54
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3 min
Testimony by Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of Human Services Council of New York, on nonprofit procurement reform
Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York, testifies on the critical need for nonprofit procurement and payment reform. She advocates for making the Mayor's Office …
0:45:30
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3 min
Testimony by Candace Prince-Modeste, President of NAACP Jamaica Branch, on concerns about open primaries diluting the Black vote
Candace Prince-Modeste, President of the NAACP Jamaica Branch, expresses deep concern and distrust regarding the proposal to introduce open primaries in New York City elections. Her primary worry is the …
0:48:42
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126 sec
Discussion on the roles of a charter MOCS and the PPB in procurement reform
Commissioner Grace Bonilla questions Michelle Jackson about the potential for confusion if the Mayor's Office of Contract Services (MOCS) became a charter agency alongside the Procurement Policy Board (PPB), and …
0:50:56
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3 min
Debate on whether MOCS's challenges are due to management or structural issues needing charter reform
Commissioner Carl Weisbrod engages Michelle Jackson on whether the Mayor's Office of Contract Services (MOCS) already possesses the necessary power under the mayor and if procurement failures are primarily management …
0:54:01
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4 min
NAACP's perspective on potential adverse impacts of open primaries on Black communities
Commissioner Anita Laremont asks Candace Prince-Modeste of the NAACP for data supporting the assertion that open primaries would negatively impact Black communities. Prince-Modeste responds that while she doesn't have specific …
0:58:20
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91 sec
Inquiry into non-affiliated voter registration trends among young Black New Yorkers
Commissioner Valerie White asks Candace Prince-Modeste of the NAACP if there is data on the number of younger Black individuals registering as non-affiliated voters. This inquiry aims to understand if …
0:59:53
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40 sec
Discussion on streamlining procurement and maintaining checks and balances with a charter MOCS
Commissioner Shams DaBaron questions Michelle Jackson on whether making MOCS a charter agency would effectively streamline procurement processes while maintaining necessary checks and balances. Jackson affirms that checks and balances …
1:00:35
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4 min
Addressing concerns about voter confusion with election system changes
Commissioner Anthony Richardson asks Candace Prince-Modeste of the NAACP about the notion that Black voters are struggling with ranked-choice voting (RCV) and whether introducing another change like open primaries would …
1:04:57
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56 sec
Clarifying NAACP's concerns regarding different models of open primaries and Black vote dilution
Chair Richard Buery seeks clarification from Candace Prince-Modeste of the NAACP regarding her specific concerns about open primaries and potential Black vote dilution. Buery distinguishes between opening existing party primaries …
1:06:05
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4 min
Confirmation of NAACP's primary concern with open primary models
Commissioner Carl Weisbrod follows up with Candace Prince-Modeste to confirm that her most significant concern regarding open primaries is the scenario where non-party affiliated individuals can vote in a specific …
1:10:31
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24 sec
Testimony by Janet Wootten, Member of the Public, advocating for open primaries to enfranchise independent voters
Janet Wootten, a retired public relations professional and a lifelong independent voter, testifies in support of open primaries. She highlights the large number of unaffiliated voters in New York City, …
1:11:21
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3 min
Testimony by Elyse Mendel, Member of the Public, on the right of independent voters to participate in primaries
Elyse Mendel, a retired CUNY employee and an independent voter, testifies in favor of open primaries, expressing her belief that party allegiance is unhelpful and that focus should be on …
1:15:01
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167 sec
Testimony by Caroline Donnola, Member of the Public, on her experiences and support for open primaries
Caroline Donnola, a freelance writer and editor with a long history of supporting political reform, testifies in favor of open primaries, drawing on her experience volunteering for California's Proposition 14, …
1:18:13
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3 min
Testimony by Karanjit Paul, Volunteer from Veterans for All Voters, on enfranchising independent voters and veterans through open primaries
Karanjit Paul, a Navy veteran and volunteer for Veterans for All Voters, testifies in support of open primaries, highlighting that he is one of 1.1 million independent voters in New …
1:21:45
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158 sec
Testimony by Mike Tagariello, Volunteer from Veterans For All Voters, on the independent voter experience and support for nonpartisan primaries
Mike Tagariello, a volunteer with Veterans For All Voters and an independent voter, testifies in his first such public speaking experience about the need for nonpartisan primaries. He describes the …
1:25:04
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82 sec
Testimony by Kimberly Cruz, Member of the Public, on spiritual consciousness and societal concerns beyond primaries
Kimberly Cruz, a member of the public, delivers a testimony emphasizing spiritual consciousness, the foundation of the United States, and concerns about current societal issues, including the regulation of technology …
1:27:00
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3 min
Testimony by Shane Moynihan, Member of the Public, advocating for a top-four open primary system
Shane Moynihan, a member of the public, reiterates his support for open primaries but voices a strong preference for a "top-four" system, similar to Alaska's, over a "top-two" model. He …
1:30:16
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3 min
Testimony by Levi Yitzchak Anteby, Member of the Public, on ranked-choice voting implementation issues
Levi Yitzchak Anteby, a member of the public, raises concerns about New York City's implementation of ranked-choice voting (RCV). He argues that voters should be allowed to rank all candidates …
1:34:16
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3 min
Testimony by Chad Peace, Strategic Adviser and Counsel from Independent Voter Project, on the fundamental right to vote in open primaries
Chad Peace, Strategic Adviser and Counsel for the Independent Voter Project and an author of California's top-two nonpartisan primary system, testifies on the importance of open primaries. He emphasizes that …
1:38:06
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3 min
Testimony by Dareth Ogle, Member of the Public, on empowering the Civilian Complaint Review Board for police accountability
Dareth Ogle, a paralegal and lifelong New York City resident, testifies for reforms to grant the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) substantive power and ensure real accountability for police misconduct. …
1:41:46
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3 min