WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 31, 2019 11
Make sure to vote on these ballot questions
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BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Voters in Election 2019 will want
to make sure they check the back of
their ballot this year where they will
fi nd fi ve ballot questions on proposals
to amend the New York City Charter,
which is the city’s Constitution, that
lays the framework for government.
The fi rst 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 rankedchoice
voting to be used for primary
and special elections beginning in
2021; to increase the time between
a city offi ce vacancy and the special
election to fi ll 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 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.
ELECTION 2019
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