New York City residents approved three of Mayor Eric Adams’ four charter reforms in last week’s election. But how many realized what they were voting for?
Critics of the reform proposals say the language on the ballots may seem harmless, but each proposition expands the power of the mayor or a city agency. For instance, Proposition 3 requires more public notice on public safety legislation – but it also lets agencies hold hearings, bypassing the City Council.
Based on voters’ feedback, Perla Silva, senior civic engagement coordinator for Make the Road New York, said the wording of each initiative made them hard to interpret.
“[Proposition] 3 to 6 was very confusing,” she said. “They just did not really understand what that meant. The wording around it, the language was just not clear to them. It just sounded like it was supporting and it was going to be helping City Council.”
She said voters were equally confused by Proposition 2, which many assumed would lead to cleaner parks and offer more parks for kids. Instead, it increases the policing of homeless people and street vendors.
A Data for Progress survey before the election also showed 65-percent of likely voters hadn’t heard about these charter reforms.
Given the scandals surrounding the Adams administration, not all New Yorkers are convinced the mayor should have more power. The Data for Progress survey found 47% of voters worry Adams would put his own needs before theirs.
Adams is staying in the 2025 mayor’s race, but faces many challengers for the Democratic nomination. Silva said she isn’t surprised.
“Eric Adams increasing his power and his policing technique to ‘securing’ New York City,” she said, “but we know that it’s really harming the working class.”
She said the propositions could further empower the New York City Police Department.
The New York Civil Liberties Union found that police stops have risen since Adams became mayor – although almost 70% of people stopped have been innocent, and research has shown that violent crimes fell when police stops did.