On ballots this year, Gotham voters will see five proposals for changes to the City Charter: four would improve the city, and the fifth could worsen it.
New Yorkers should vote “yes” on Proposals 2, 3, 4, and 5, and “no” on Proposal No. 6.
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### Proposals 2, 3, and 4: Boosting Affordable Housing
Proposals 2, 3, and 4 could lead to a significant increase in the city’s affordable housing stock—something Gotham sorely needs.
**Proposal No. 2: Fast Track Affordable Housing to Build More Affordable Housing Across the City**
This would create a new system that cuts months off the approval process for publicly financed affordable housing projects and those in areas where relatively little affordable housing is being developed. It does this mainly by removing the City Council from the approval process, where political issues and narrow interests can slow or stop development in the areas where it’s most needed.
**Proposal No. 3: Simplify Review of Modest Housing and Infrastructure Projects**
This sensible change speeds up the review process for smaller projects by eliminating the need for City Council approval. Instead, community boards and borough presidents would handle approvals, with the City Planning Commission having the final say. This change could shave off months in the project timeline.
**Proposal No. 4: Establish an Affordable Housing Appeals Board with Council, Borough, and Citywide Representation**
This proposal aims to further boost affordable housing by creating new boards made up of the mayor, City Council speaker, and the relevant borough president. These boards would have the authority to reverse City Council decisions on affordable housing projects. This would end the toxic practice of a single council member effectively blocking affordable housing projects in their district, putting the interests of the city as a whole first.
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### Proposal 5: Modernize City Operations with a Digital City Map
**Proposal No. 5: Create a Digital City Map to Modernize City Operations**
It’s hard to believe that the City Map isn’t already online, with local “topographical bureaus” in each borough still managing some 8,000 paper maps. Proponents are absolutely right that consolidating, centralizing, and posting these maps online would broaden and simplify access and speed up projects across the city.
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### Proposal 6: Move Local Elections to Presidential Election Years
**Proposal No. 6: Move Local Elections to Presidential Election Years to Increase Voter Participation**
This is the city ballot proposal voters should reject. Yes, voter participation might grow if local elections were moved, and proponents claim this would reduce the influence of small but disciplined groups like the Democratic Socialists in primaries.
Yet, in our view, voters would pay far less attention to local races with presidential and congressional campaigns dominating the scene. What good is boosting turnout if the average voter is less informed?
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### Final Thoughts
Our general rule on all ballot measures is: if you’re not sure, vote “no.” But this year, four of the proposals clearly deserve your support.
You can also skip these questions if you prefer—don’t let any uncertainty stop you from making it to the polls. Your vote matters.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/26/opinion/four-city-ballot-proposals-this-year-deserve-to-pass-one-other-doesnt/
