New York City voters pass all five Mamdani charter amendments

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

New York City voters approved all five charter amendments on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Each proposal received at least 61% of the vote, with Staten Island the only borough to reject all five. The measures give Mayor Zohran Mamdani a first-year win and change how the city approves outdoor dining, street projects, property deals and construction permits.

The amendments cut mandatory public hearings for some public-space permits and remove the City Council's veto over sidewalk cafes. They let the Department of Transportation start certain street safety projects before notifying community boards if the agency cites risk of significant injury. They also centralize building permits and set a 12% rainy-day fund target.

Why it matters

The amendments shift power from community boards and the City Council to city agencies, speeding approvals for outdoor dining, street projects, property deals and permits.

Last Monday's email for New York, NY

Sent Nov 2. It carried:

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac tighten mortgage rules for New York City rent-regulated buildings Landlords of New York City's rent-regulated buildings are finding it nearly impossible to refinance their mortgages....
Permits filed for 13-story mixed-use building on Inwood's Broadway Permits have been filed for a 13-story mixed-use building at 5073 Broadway in Inwood, between West 215th and West...
Allerton's 2512 Bronx Park East opens lottery for 17 income-restricted units Seventeen of the 84 apartments at 2512 Bronx Park East are now open to applications through New York City's...
New York to shut down unemployment system for 9-12 day upgrade New York will shut down its entire unemployment benefits system for up to 12 days starting Nov. 2, delaying payments...

Get next Monday's: one short email a week. Free. Unsubscribe in one click.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

Charter amendments approved

All five proposals on the ballot passed.

61%

Lowest yes share

Every proposal cleared at least this level of support.

1.9M

Ballots cast citywide

Voters cast more than 1.9 million ballots across the five boroughs.

12%

Rainy day fund target

Proposal 5 sets a reserve goal at 12% of prior-year tax revenue.

$5M

Contract approval threshold

Proposal 2 lets the mayor delegate approval of certain contracts over $5 million.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Zohran Kwame Mamdani

Mayor of New York City

First-year mayor; won passage of all five charter amendments

Patrick Gaspard

Chair, Commission on Government Efficiency

Led the commission that drafted the five ballot proposals

Eric Dinowitz

New York City Council member, Bronx

Opposed Proposal 3 over reduced community input

Organizations Involved

Commission on Government Efficiency

Municipal charter revision commission

Drafted the five charter amendments approved by voters

The 15-member panel Mamdani appointed to propose changes to the New York City Charter.

New York City Board of Elections

Election administration agency

Reported unofficial results showing all five proposals passing

The city agency that runs elections and reported the ballot results.

New York City Council

Legislative Body

Did not take a collective position on the five proposals

The city's legislative body, which lost some permit and property review powers under the amendments.

Timeline

2025 November 2026

5 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
All five ballot proposals pass
Latest Election

Each cleared at least 61%; Staten Island rejected all five.
Yesterday
Mamdani claims mandate for faster government
Statement

He said voters chose faster government on outdoor dining, street safety and housing.
Yesterday
2026
Mamdani dissolves Adams charter panel
Rule Change

Mamdani replaced it with his own 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency.
2026
COGE drafts five charter amendments
Policy

Commission held public meetings and drafted five charter amendments.
2026
2025
Adams creates final-day charter commission
Background

As he left office, Mayor Eric Adams formed a charter revision commission with Randy Mastro.
2025

Scenarios

All five amendments take effect on schedule

Likely Resolves by May 31, 2027

Discussed by: City & State New York and the Commission on Government Efficiency, which published effective dates for the changes.

The public-space permit changes take effect March 1, 2027. The procurement board must meet quarterly starting Jan. 1, 2027. By May 2027, the Office of Management and Budget and the Comptroller must publish a rainy-day fund deposit plan. If no court order blocks the amendments, the city implements them as written.

Preservation groups sue to block property-sale changes

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Preservation groups and Bronx Councilman Eric Dinowitz opposed Proposal 3; no lawsuit had been filed as of the vote.

Proposal 3 moves final approval of some city property sales and leases from the City Council to the City Planning Commission. Opponents say it reduces public review. A lawsuit could argue the charter change violates state law or the city's charter process.

City Council moves to restore its review powers

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Some Council members opposed Proposal 3, but the Council did not take a collective position on the five proposals.

After the amendments take effect, the Council could try to pass local laws or a new charter amendment to restore its veto over sidewalk cafes or property deals. That would require another ballot measure or state action.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2025

New York City housing ballot proposals (2025)

New York City voters considered housing-related charter amendments aimed at reshaping the land-use process. The City Council fought the Adams administration over the questions.

Then

City & State later cited them as an example of more controversial proposals that still passed.

Now

They showed that charter amendments touching land use can survive Council opposition.

Why this matters now

Mamdani's measures faced less organized Council resistance and passed with similar ease.

2025

Eric Adams' final-day charter commission (2025)

As he left office, Mayor Eric Adams created a charter revision commission with former first deputy mayor Randy Mastro. It sought ballot questions that could constrain Mamdani.

Then

Mamdani dissolved the panel and created his own 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency.

Now

The move kept charter revision under the new mayor's control and produced the five 2026 proposals.

Why this matters now

It shows how New York mayors use charter commissions to set rules for agencies and the Council.