Reinvent Albany urges New York City voters to VOTE NO on Prop 4 this Election Day, Tuesday, November 5th. We find Prop 4 arbitrary and illogical and fundamentally disagree with creating a two-track process for policy bills in which public safety legislation is subject to greater review.
We do not take a position on the remaining proposals on the ballot because they are either outside of our mission, or we are unable to determine how well they would work in the real world.
Reinvent Albany advocates for open, accountable state government, and works on city issues that serve as models for New York State, including the city’s budget and legislative processes, campaign finance system, and open data.
About the Ballot Measures
Proposal 1 is a statewide constitutional equal rights amendment. Proposals 2 through 6 were put on the ballot by the 2024 Charter Revision Commission convened by the Mayor. Reinvent Albany urged the Commission in June 2024 to “do no harm,” in regards to the city’s pro-voter Ranked Choice Voting and campaign finance programs. We also provided written testimony to the Commission in July 2024 in response to staff recommendations on budgetary efficiency and public safety.
Question #1 (Equal Rights Amendment): Reinvent Albany does not take a position on Prop 1, as it is outside of our mission and expertise. For more information on this proposal, please visit the websites of our colleagues at the League of Women Voters of New York State and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Question #2 (Cleaning Public Property): We do not take a position on Prop 2. For more information about the proposal, see “What’s on the Ballot” from NYC Votes.
Question #3 (Fiscal Estimates and Updates to Budget Deadlines): We do not take a position on Prop 3. We provided written comments in July 2024 in support of Citizens Budget Commission’s proposal to have the Independent Budget Office produce fiscal impact statements for programs of $100 million or more. This final proposal is less independent and not targeted, requiring fiscal impact statements from the City Council and Office of Management and Budget for all bills before a hearing is held.
The updated schedules for the city budget are reasonable, giving new mayors until February 1st to submit a preliminary budget, and providing until May 1st in each year for the final executive budget to be submitted. Moving the preliminary budget submission date to February 1st is consistent with the New York State Constitution, which also allows governors additional time in the first year of their term to submit a budget. Additionally, providing until May 1st would ensure that April 15th tax receipts are better accounted for.
Question #4 (More Time Before Votes on Public Safety Bills): Reinvent Albany opposes this proposal and urges voters to VOTE NO. We believe that one type of issue does not deserve more consideration than another by the City Council. Requiring that certain matters – other than the budget – be subject to greater review is arbitrary, illogical, and unsupportable. We agree with Citizens Union’s analysis showing New Yorkers already have ample opportunity to comment on public safety legislation.
Question #5 (Capital Planning): We do not take a position on Prop 5. We have provided detailed comments regarding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital planning process and needs assessments, and support better data gathering and reporting about capital needs and the conditions of public assets. However, the charter proposal only requires the City’s statement of needs to examine the condition and useful life of city facilities “to the extent practicable” – which means it could be simply ignored.
Question #6 (Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise, Film Permits, and Archive Review Boards Consolidation): We do not take a position on Prop 6. While we generally support consolidating redundant boards and commissions and have weighed in on prior Reports and Advisory Board Review Commission proposals, there are too many other charter changes in this proposal that we do not fully understand the implications of or are outside of our mission area. For more information about this proposal, see “What’s on the Ballot” from NYC Votes.