New Yorkers heading to the polls for the Nov. 3 general election will be asked to decide on five ballot questions that could change how City Hall approves outdoor dining, awards contracts, builds street safety projects and saves money for future financial emergencies.

Early voting begins Saturday, Oct. 24 , with the five questions appearing on city voters' ballots alongside state and federal races. The proposals were advanced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Commission on Government Efficiency ( COGE ), which was tasked with finding ways to cut red tape and speed up city government operations.

The 15-member commission, chaired by Patrick Gaspard, unanimously approved the measures in July following public hearings across the five boroughs. Supporters say the changes could shorten lengthy government approval processes and save businesses money. But some would also eliminate mandatory public hearings or remove City Council oversight, raising concerns about whether efficiency would come at the expense of public accountability.

At an Oct. 20 forum at New York Law School, COGE Chair Patrick Gaspard defended the commission's approach, arguing that additional layers of bureaucracy do not necessarily prevent corruption and can instead make government decisions harder for the public to scrutinize.

COGE Executive Director Ann Cheng said commissioners examined which existing requirements genuinely safeguard against wrongdoing, rather than assuming every public hearing or additional approval provides meaningful oversight. She said the commission sought to preserve existing anti-corruption safeguards and labor protections while simplifying contracting procedures.

Three prominent good-government groups — Citizens Union , the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) and Common Cause New York — have issued their own assessments, with differing recommendations on several questions.

Each proposal would amend the City Charter, the city's governing document, and can be approved or rejected independently. Here's what New Yorkers need to know before casting their ballots: Proposal 1: Speed Up Process for Granting a Revocable Consent to Use Public Space Public Space at Brooklyn Bridge Arches, Manhattan. Photo: DOT Question on Ballot: Simplify process to use public space for uses such as ramps, planters and cafes, by removing mandatory hearings and Council disapproval of sidewalk cafes, while maintaining community and Council input.

Voting Yes: Streamlines the approval process for private uses of public space, eliminates mandatory hearings and removes the City Council's authority to disapprove individual sidewalk cafe applications.

Voting No: Maintains the existing approval process, including mandatory public hearings and Council review of sidewalk cafes. The first proposal focuses on the city's system for granting businesses and property owners permission to use public streets and sidewalks for outdoor dining, accessibility ramps, benches, planters and similar structures.

These permissions, known as "revocable consents," allow private use of public property while giving the city the right to revoke that permission. Currently, restaurants seeking sidewalk and roadway dining approvals must navigate separate application processes, which can take months. The amendment would combine those applications and eliminate mandatory public hearings, although agencies could still hold them when necessary. Community boards, borough presidents and local Council members would generally receive at least 15 days' notice before applications are approved and have at least 15 days to submit comments. They could waive notices for certain categories of applications. Agencies would also be directed to seek additional community input through online postings and other methods.

COGE estimates the changes, combined with a separate Department of Transportation initiative to clear an application backlog, could reduce outdoor dining approval times from as long as eight months to about two months and save businesses up to $1,800 in application-related costs.

Citizens Union and CBC support the measure, arguing that the existing process is unnecessarily expensive and time-consuming, although both acknowledge concerns about reduced public input.

Common Cause New York opposes it, arguing that faster approvals should not come at the expense of public participation and legislative oversight. If approved, the changes would take effect March 1, 2027, and would not apply to applications already submitted. Proposal 2: Reduce City Contractor Paperwork; Require Regular Meetings of Procurement Policy Board Question on Ballot: Reduce paperwork for City contractors by authorizing the Procurement Policy Board to simplify the contractor questionnaire. Require quarterly meetings of the Procurement Policy Board. Remove mandatory hearing for required client services report.

Voting Yes: Allows the city to simplify contractor disclosure requirements, requires quarterly Procurement Policy Board meetings and authorizes certain contract approvals to be delegated to agency officials.

Voting No: Keeps existing Charter requirements governing contractor questionnaires, approval authority, and the affected hearings. Question 2 concerns how the city awards contracts to businesses and nonprofits. Currently, vendors seeking city contracts must complete extensive questionnaires, regardless of their size or the type of work involved. The measure would allow the Procurement Policy Board to tailor disclosure requirements based on factors such as contract size, industry and whether a vendor is a small business. Existing requirements would remain until replacement rules are adopted.