De Blasio Names 1st Members Of Charter Revision Commission

NEW YORK, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday named the first two members of a city charter revision commission tasked with improving city elections, part of his new plan to bolster civic engagement. Cesar Perales, a lawyer and former state secretary of state, will serve as chairman of the panel as it explores ways to stiffen city campaign finance rules and increase voter participation, the mayor announced.

Under state law, the commission will be able to review the entire city charter for possible changes. But de Blasio, a Democrat, wants his panel to specifically examine electoral issues as his administration takes up other efforts to increase civic engagement.

"For democracy to truly function, we have to get big money out of politics," de Blasio said in a statement Thursday. "With Cesar at its head, the Charter Revision Commission will help New York City lead the nation in improving our democracy."

The mayor also named Rachel Godsil, a professor at Rutgers Law School who previously chaired the city's Rent Guidelines Board, as the commission's vice-chair. Matt Gewolb, the assistant dean and general counsel at New York Law School, will start full time in May as the panel's executive director and counsel, de Blasio's office said.

De Blasio announced plans to empanel a charter revision commission in his State of the City address last month. It's part of his so-called DemocracyNYC agenda to make elections more democratic.

The commission will develop proposals for revising the charter that would have to be approved by voters, either as a package or as separate items.

De Blasio will name the rest of the commission's members in the coming weeks and the panel will hold its first public hearing by next month, the mayor's office said. State law says a commission created by the mayor can have nine to 15 members.

The mayor, who has faced multiple investigations related to his political fundraising, wants the panel to propose ways to "deepen" the city's campaign finance system, even though the Campaign Finance Board already offers six-to-one matches of donations up to $175. A 2012 paper in the Election Law Journal called the city's matching funds system a model for municipalities across the country.

Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg named the last charter revision commission in 2010. Voters approved the commission's two ballot proposals that year: One limiting city elected officials to two terms, and another that included some election reforms and other administrative changes.

De Blasio appointed his panel's first members a day before a scheduled City Council committee hearing on legislation that would create a separate charter revision commission. Two commissions would exist simultanously if that bill ultimately passes.

Under the bill, endorsed by Council Speaker Corey Johnson, the other commission's members would be appointed by the mayor, the public advocate, the comptroller, the Council speaker and the five borough presidents.

The panel would have a broad mandate to revise the charter or write a new one. The legislation would also bar registered city lobbyists from serving on the commission.

It's unclear whether the Council will move forward with efforts to create another commission. Spokespeople for Johnson and Public Advocate Letitia James, who also sponsors the legislation, did not immediately return requests for comment.

(Lead image: New York City Hall is seen in Manhattan. Photo by Richard Cavalleri/Shutterstock)