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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   JULY 17, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 22

                        Commission on Government Efficiency

                          Releases Preliminary Report to Make

                    Government Work Better for New Yorkers

                  Report identifies opportunities to reform the City Charter to speed up outdoor dining,

                       housing construction permitting, bus & street infrastructure, and contracting

            OUR BUREAU

            NEW YORK, NY
                  he Commission on Govern-
                  ment  Efficiency  (COGE),  the
            T2026 New York City Charter
            Revision Commission convened by
            Mayor  Mamdani, have  released its
            preliminary staff report outlining
            potential reforms to help City gov-
            ernment deliver faster and more ef-
            fectively for New Yorkers. Charged
            with reviewing the entire City Char-
            ter, COGE welcomed more than 780
            New Yorkers during its first 7 public
            hearings, heard 18 hours of testimony
            from 178 speakers, reviewed 345 writ-
            ten submissions from members of the
            public and received recommendations   and using reserve funds.      who call it home.”                   The Department of Buildings pro-
            from 92 City agencies.               “We listened to New Yorkers        Throughout its first round of pub-  cesses roughly 275,000 applications
                The preliminary report identifies   across the city and worked to treat ev- lic  hearings,  the  Commission identi- each year  through a borough-based
            four areas where reforms could help   ery idea—and the New Yorker behind  fied four broad areas where reforms   structure that has changed little in
            government better meet the needs   it, whether City worker or profession- to the City Charter could help gov- more than a century. Property own-
            of working New Yorkers: Accelerate  al association or individual who saw a  ernment  deliver  more effectively  for  ers must navigate multiple agencies
            Access to Public Space and Infra-  sign for a public hearing and walked   working families.           to secure approvals for a single proj-
            structure Improvements, Accelerate   in—with genuine curiosity and re-  Making it easier to use our streets,  ect. Procurement presents similar
            Permitting & Contracting, Modernize   spect,” said Ann Cheng, Executive   sidewalks, and public space is an oppor-  challenges. In Fiscal Year 2025, nearly
            Outdated Systems and Requirements  Director of the Commission on Gov- tunity to create safer neighborhoods,  40% of the City’s budget supported
            to Bolster Innovation, and Ensure the   ernment Efficiency. “This preliminary   stronger local businesses and more vi-  contracted goods and services, yet out-
            City’s Fiscal Stability.          report compiles that feedback and   brant public spaces. Today, restaurant  dated rules continue to make it hard
                Areas identified for further explora- suggests concrete paths as the Com- owners seeking sidewalk dining per- for  small  businesses  and  nonprofits
            tion include, but are not limited to:    mission continues to hear from New  mits, communities advocating for safer  to work with the city, a problem past
                Outdoor Dining: Save restaurants  Yorkers and considers commonsense   bus and bike lanes and City agencies   commissions have flagged since 1989.
            time and money by streamlining pro- reforms to the Charter.”        working to activate surplus proper- Modernizing how the City permits
            cess to open outdoor dining.         “This Commission is immensely  ties all run into the same maze of re- and contracts is essential to deliver-
                Permitting: Create a centralized,  grateful to the more than 780 New  dundant reviews, costly requirements,  ing the housing, infrastructure, and
            one-stop permitting system to speed  Yorkers who came out to testify or sub- and years-long approval timelines.  services New Yorkers are waiting on
            up housing construction, infrastruc- mit written comments, and we want   The  Commission   repeatedly  while reducing unnecessary adminis-
            ture projects, and renovations.     even  more  of  them  in  the  room  as   heard that these barriers leave public   trative burdens.
                Contracting: Modernize  procure- we head into our next round of hear- land underused, delay street safety   As governments serves millions of
            ment to cut time, save money and   ings,” said Patrick Gaspard, Chair of  improvements, and prevent the City  people every day, technology has be-
            reduce unnecessary paperwork that  the Commission on Government Effi- from  putting  valuable  public  assets   come increasingly essential to deliver-
            slows down small businesses seeking   ciency. “Our next steps will be deeply  to  work.  New  York  City  owns more   ing services efficiently and effectively.
            to do business with the city and delays   informed by their passionate testimo- than 6,000 miles of streets and 15,000   The Commission heard that out-
            construction of infrastructure -- from   nies, each of them experts either on   parcels of land. With smarter systems,  dated information technology systems,
            water tunnels to plazas to sewers.   their block or their industry, on how  those  public  assets  can  better  serve  antiquated legal requirements, and
                Bus and Street Infrastructure:  city government can worker faster and   New Yorkers.              duplicative administrative processes
            Shorten timelines for street redesigns   more efficiently. As this Commission   Whether opening  a  small  busi-  slow City government without improv-
            and bus and bike lane projects that im-  considers reforms to put forth on the   ness, building affordable housing, or  ing public outcomes. Nearly 1,500 new
            prove safety and mobility.        ballot in November, it will be guided   delivering critical infrastructure, New  reporting requirements have been en-
                Rainy Day Fund: Strengthen the   by the shared goal of unlocking this  Yorkers consistently describe procure- acted since 2011, while outdated surety
            City’s long-term fiscal health by estab- City’s  potential  to  deliver  a more af- ment and construction permitting sys- bond rules and fragmented waterfront
            lishing clearer rules for contributing to   fordable, safe, and dignified life for all   tems that move too slowly.  permitting create unnecessary delays.

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