4 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 31, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Election
Make sure to vote on these ballot questions
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.
Th e 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 ranked-choice 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 fi nal 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 offi cer headcount unless the
mayor determines that fi scal 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
aft er leaving service before elected offi -
cials or senior appointed offi cials can
appear before the city agencies in which
they served from one year to two years;
replace two of the fi ve members on the
Confl icts 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 offi ce campaigns and restrict contributions
to COIB members to campaigns
between $250 and $400 depending on the
offi ce; 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
offi ce for the MWBE; and require City
Council confi rmation 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 eff ect with requires state law
changes; set minimum public advocate
and borough president budgets based on
the 2020 fi scal year adjusted based on
infl ation 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 fi nancial 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.
Aff ected by the project 30 days prior to
when the project application is certifi ed
for review by the public and increase the
amount of time allowed for review of the
ULURP projects by the aff ected 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.
Williams faces off against two challengers in public advocate race
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
In the only citywide election, three
men are in the running for public advocate
offi ce currently held by Jumaane
Williams.
Williams will face his former City
Council colleague Republican Joe Borelli
and Libertarian candidate Devin Balkind.
Williams took the offi ce in a special
election aft er Letitia James was elected
as state attorney general. His term ends
Jan. 1.
“Our city needs a public advocate who
can eff ectively be an activist elected offi -
cial that rises above politics and brings
the voice of everyday New Yorkers into
the halls of government,” Williams said
in a statement. “Th roughout 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 fi ghting 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. As NYC’s current public advocate,
I will continue to combine activism
and legislation to help make our city a
truly progressive beacon.”
Williams’ top issues include the aff ordable
housing crisis, increasing government
transparency and accountability,
criminal justice reform and gun violence
prevention. He was endorsed by Citizens
Union, the preeminent nonpartisan good
government group, last week.
Borelli is chair of the Committee on
Fire and Emergency Management, with
oversight over the FDNY, the largest fi re
department in the U.S., and the city’s
Offi ce of Emergency Management.
Th e 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.
“Th e New York City Police Department
represents the best of what our city has
to off er, and I have never wavered in my
support for the offi cers that serve our
communities each day,” Borelli said. “Our
cops will always have an ally with me in
offi ce.”
Balkind is a technologist and nonprofi t
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, nonprofi ts and startups
save money and improve people’s lives,”
Balkind said. “As public advocate, I’ll turn
the offi ce into a non-partisan, public-interest
technology organization that builds
soft ware and off ers 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.
File photo/QNS
Jumaane Williams is facing off against former City Council colleague Republican Joe Borelli and
Libertarian candidate Devin Balkind in the race for Public Advocate.
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