ELECTION 2019
Make sure to vote on
these ballot questions
BY BILL PARRY
Voters in Election 2019 will
want to make sure they check
the back of their ballot this
year where they will find five
ballot questions on proposals
to amend the New York City
Charter, which is the city’s
Constitution, that lays the
framework for government.
The first ballot question involves
ranked-choice voting,
vacancies and the City Council
redistricting timeline.
A yes vote on this question
means the voter is in favor of
amending the city charter to
establish ranked-choice voting
to be used for primary and
special elections beginning
in 2021; to increase the time
between a city office vacancy
and the special election to fill
it from 45 days (60 for mayor)
to 80 days; and to change the
timeline for City Council redistricting
to complete it prior
to City Council nominating
petition signature collection.
A no vote for this question
would be a vote against amending
the city charter and leaving
it the way it is currently
constructed in regards to voting
in primaries and special
elections, and the City Council
redistricting timeline.
Ballot question 2 is a
vote on the Civilian Complaint
Review Board Charter
Amendment.
A yes vote is a vote in favor
of amending the city charter
to add two members to the
13-member CCRB — one appointed
by the public advocate
and one jointly by the
mayor and the speaker of the
City Council; allow to the City
Council to appoint members
directly without the mayor
having final appointing authority;
require the CCRB
annual budget to be enough
to hire employees to equal to
0.65 percent of the Police Department’s
uniformed officer
headcount unless the mayor
determines that fiscal necessity
prevents it; add to the city
charter the requirement that
the city police commissioner
provide the CCRB with a written
explanation whenever the
board’s disciplinary recommendations
File photo/QNS
aren’t followed;
authorize the CCRB to investigate
the truthfulness of statements
made during its investigations
of complaints; and
allow the CCRB to delegate its
authority to issue and enforce
subpoenas.
A vote no on ballot question
2 would leave the CCRB
the way it is right now.
Ballot question 3 looks to
amend the city’s Ethics and
Government Charter.
A yes vote is a vote to amend
the city charter to increase the
amount of time after leaving
service before elected officials
or senior appointed officials
can appear before the city
agencies in which they served
from one year to two years; replace
two of the five members
on the Conflicts of Interest
Board appointed by the mayor
with a member appointed by
the comptroller and a member
appointed by the public advocate;
prohibit members of the
COIB from involvement with
city office campaigns and restrict
contributions to COIB
members to campaigns between
$250 and $400 depending
on the office; add to the
city charter a requirement to
make Minority- and Women-
Owned Business Enterprise
report directly to the mayor
and to require a mayoral office
for the MWBE; and require
City Council confirmation of
the city’s corporation counsel
appointed by the mayor.
A no vote on this amendment
makes no changes to the
above issues.
Ballot question 4 seeks to
amend the city charter regarding
the city’s Budget Charter
as it relates to the Revenue
Stabilization Fund, public advocate
and borough president
budgets and reporting by the
mayor.
A yes vote is to allow a
rainy day fund to go into effect
with requires state law
changes; set minimum public
advocate and borough president
budgets based on the 2020
fiscal year adjusted based on
inflation or the total change
in the city’s total budget; move
the deadline for the mayor’s
revenue report (excluding
property taxes) to the City
Council from June 5 to April
26; and set a deadline of 30
days for the mayor to submit
changes to the city’s financial
plan requiring budget changes
to the City Council.
A no vote is a vote to keep
these elements of the city budget
the same as they currently
stand.
Ballot question 5 relates to
the city’s Land Use Charter by
seeing to change the Uniform
Land Use Review Procedure
(ULURP).
A yes vote is in favor of
amending the city charter
to require the Department
of City Planning to provide
a summary of ULURP projects
to the borough president,
board and community board.
Affected by the project 30
days prior to when the project
application is certified for
review by the public and increase
the amount of time allowed
for review of the ULURP
projects by the affected community
boards from 60 days
to either 75 days or 90 days,
depending on timing.
A no vote is a vote against
these changes and to leave the
ULURP process the same.
Jumaane Williams is facing off against former City Council
colleague Republican Joe Borelli and Libertarian candidate Devin
Balkind in the race for Public Advocate.
Williams looks to fend
off two challengers in
public advocate race
BY BILL PARRY
In the only citywide election,
three men are in the running
for public advocate office
currently held by Jumaane
Williams.
Williams will face his former
City Council colleague
Republican Joe Borelli and
Libertarian candidate Devin
Balkind.
Williams took the office in
a special election after Letitia
James was elected as state attorney
general. His term ends
Jan. 1.
“Our city needs a public
advocate who can effectively
be an activist elected official
that rises above politics and
brings the voice of everyday
New Yorkers into the halls of
government,” Williams said
in a statement. “Throughout
my career in public service, as
a Council member, and before
that as a community organizer,
I’ve served as an advocate
for the public by fighting for
justice and equity for all. I’ve
been proud to pass more than
50 bills by blending outside
pressure with inside operations
to create meaningful
change in our city.”
Williams’ top issues include
the affordable housing
crisis, increasing government
transparency and accountability,
criminal justice
reform and gun violence
prevention.
Borelli is chair of the Committee
on Fire and Emergency
Management, with oversight
over the FDNY, the largest
fire department in the
U.S., and the city’s Office of
Emergency Management.
The Staten Islander gained
some traction in the race when
he picked up endorsements
from all of the major law enforcement
unions in the city,
including the Patrolmen’s Benevolent
Association.
“The New York City Police
Department represents the
best of what our city has to offer,
and I have never wavered
in my support for the officers
that serve our communities
each day,” Borelli said. “Our
cops will always have an ally
with me in office.”
Balkind is a technologist
and nonprofit executive who
is seeking a citywide directory
of social services, digital
transformation of city agencies
and tech-enabled MTA
and NYCHA reform.
“I’m a lifelong New Yorker
who’s spent the last decade
using technology to help government,
nonprofits and startups
save money and improve
people’s lives,” Balkind said.
“As public advocate, I’ll turn
the office into a non-partisan,
public-interest technology
organization that builds software
and offers services that
make government faster, better
and cheaper.”
He promised to deliver solutions
that would strengthen
the social safety net, improve
the civic engagement process
and produce websites that help
New Yorkers better understand
how their government
works and spends money.
TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM NOV. 1-7, 2019 3
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