Mamdani launches COGE to reform NYC government

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency, known as COGE, that will hold 10 public hearings across New York City’s five boroughs and draft charter amendments for the November 2026 ballot. Mamdani replaced a charter review panel he inherited from former Mayor Eric Adams.

Patrick Gaspard, the former U.S. ambassador to South Africa, will chair the commission. The panel includes labor leaders such as Henry Garrido of District Council 37, along with community organizers and city workers.

COGE will begin its public work with an organizational meeting on June 4, followed by borough hearings starting June 9. Officials said the commission will gather testimony in all five boroughs and then draft proposed charter amendments that could appear on the November 2026 ballot if cleared for voters.

Mamdani positioned the city panel as an alternative to the federal DOGE effort, which pursued workforce reductions and contract cancellations and began winding down in late 2025. He criticized the federal approach for using efficiency language to justify service cuts and said COGE will focus on procedural and structural changes to speed housing approvals, reform procurement and improve service delivery without layoffs. “COGE will hold hearings in every borough and meet with union members, community organizers, and working people who will shape how we build a more responsive and accountable government,” Mamdani added.

Reactions were mixed. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos endorsed the commission and argued that savings could be used to lower taxes for low‑income workers, saying, “With some of the savings, we can zero out taxes on the bottom half of earners.” Critics questioned whether a commission with strong union input can produce the budgetary savings its backers expect and noted potential tensions with Mamdani’s progressive policy priorities.

Organizers emphasized that charter amendments would require voter approval, so any reforms would take effect only if New Yorkers approve them in November 2026. The hearings and testimony gathered in June and afterward are expected to shape the scope of the proposed amendments.