Question 2
Proposed Charter Amendment: Reduce City Contractor Paperwork; Require Regular Meetings of Procurement Policy Board
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026. Every line below is quoted from its source; only the headings are ours.
The question, as the ballot prints it
Reduce paperwork for City contractors by authorizing Procurement Policy Board to simplify contractor questionnaire. Require quarterly meetings of the Procurement Policy Board. Remove mandatory hearing for required client services report.
“Yes” amends Procurement Policy Board authority, including to simplify contractor questionnaire; authorizes Mayor to delegate certain contract approvals. “No” leaves laws unchanged, with Mayor and Comptroller maintaining longer questionnaire.
Proposed Ballot Questions, NYC Board of ElectionsAbstract, NYC Board of Elections
The Board's official text in: Español简体中文繁體中文한국어বাংলাTagalogاردو
What it would change, in the official abstract
This proposal would make various changes to the City’s laws governing procurement. It would allow the Procurement Policy Board to simplify a questionnaire that contractors must fill out before seeking City contracts to reduce burdens for smaller businesses contracting with the City; remove a requirement that agencies hold a hearing each year relating to a report about client services contracts; authorize the Mayor to delegate authority to approve certain contracts to agencies; and require the Procurement Policy Board to meet at least quarterly to promote transparency in the City’s rules governing procurement.
Proposed Changes
This proposal would authorize the Procurement Policy Board to determine the contents of the questionnaire that prospective City contractors are required to complete. The Procurement Policy Board would be authorized to enact rules that authorize certain contractors, including contractors with contracts under a certain dollar threshold or small businesses, to answer different or only a subset of the questions to reduce burdens on those contractors. The Mayor’s Office of Contract Services would be responsible for implementing the policies set forth in these rules. The Franchise and Concession Review Committee would be authorized to exercise the same powers relating to the questionnaire as the Procurement Policy Board with respect to franchises and concessions.
Agencies that award client services contracts would no longer be required to publish a draft client services plan and hold a hearing relating to such plan. They would still be required to develop such a plan each year.
The Mayor would be authorized to delegate authority to approve contracts that are worth more than $5 million and are awarded by a method other than competitive bidding to Agency Chief Contracting Officers, with the approval of the agency’s Commissioner.
This proposal would also make permanent the authority for the City to have a public notice and comment period, rather than a public hearing, on contracts exceeding a certain dollar amount. It would authorize the Procurement Policy Board to set the dollar threshold at which contracts become subject to the public notice and comment requirement.
The Procurement Policy Board would be required to meet on a quarterly basis. It would also be authorized to increase the minimum value of contracts for which agencies must accept public comments.
Existing Processes, Implementation
Existing Processes
Currently, the Mayor and the Comptroller are required to maintain a questionnaire that prospective City contractors must fill out. The specific questions are set forth in local law and include complex and detailed requirements. All contractors subject to the questionnaire requirement must complete the same questionnaire. The Mayor and Comptroller are jointly responsible for all policy decisions relating to the questionnaire. Agencies that award client services contracts are required to produce a plan and schedule relating to those contracts each year and to hold a hearing prior to finalizing the plan and schedule.
The Mayor and the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services are authorized to delegate various authorities that they have relating to contract approvals to Agency Chief Contracting Officers. However, the Mayor cannot delegate authority to approve contracts that are worth more than $5 million and are awarded by a method other than competitive bidding.
The Charter establishes the Procurement Policy Board, which enacts rules for the City’s procurement processes. The Board is made up of three appointees of the Mayor and two appointees of the Comptroller. The Board is not required to meet on any particular schedule.
Implementation
The charter amendments authorizing the Mayor to delegate authority to Agency Chief Contracting Officers, removing the requirement that agencies hold a hearing relating to their client services plan, and authorizing the Procurement Policy Board to develop rules relating to the pre-contract questionnaire would take effect immediately upon certification that the voters approved this proposal.
The requirement that the Procurement Policy Board meet on a quarterly basis would take effect on January 1, 2027.
The authorization for the Procurement Policy Board to increase the minimum value of contracts for which agencies must accept public comments would take effect on October 1, 2030.
NYC Board of Elections · Abstracts of the proposed ballot questions
The Board's official text in: Español简体中文繁體中文한국어বাংলাTagalogاردو
Who put it on the ballot
Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE)
Convened by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani in May 2026, the Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) was charged with reviewing the entire City Charter to identify ways to improve efficiency, modernize city government, and ensure government keeps pace with New Yorkers’ needs.
Commission on Government Efficiency · Adopted Final Report 2026
Commission on Government Efficiency
Based on that process, the Commission has decided to submit five proposed Charter amendments to New York City voters.
Commission on Government Efficiency · Adopted Final Report 2026
4 more
Citizens Union
For more than a century, Citizens Union has been at the forefront of reform in New York City.
NYC-DSA
NYC-DSA is the nation's largest DSA chapter.
Human Services Council
HSC fosters a diverse network of human service organizations.
Abundance New York
Abundance New York is building a new political home for New Yorkers who believe the city and state's superpowers are growth and change.
For and against, in their own words
ForCitizensNYC
Faster, fairer business approvals and contracting means small businesses and community-based nonprofits spend less time navigating City Hall and more time serving their neighborhoods.
ForHuman Services Council
Streamlining processes like the pre-contracting questionnaire and mandating PPB meetings through charter amendment while also taking on important policy change through expanding the council discretionary grant program and beginning to use umbrella agreements to procure nonprofit services are crucial steps toward a more efficient and accountable City government.
16 more
ForGuinea–USA Chamber of Commerce (GUSCOC)
Modernizing City contracting and reducing administrative barriers will help entrepreneurs compete fairly, create jobs, and strengthen our local economy.
ForChris Yukins
By reducing burdens and payment delays for contractors providing vital services to the City's most vulnerable residents, COGE's proposed reforms meet Mayor Mamdani's promise to make New York a better place to live for all.
ForGood Shepherd Services
COGE's procurement reforms are a welcome change that would drastically reduce procurement time and other costly and inefficient process burdens.
ForPartners for Public Good
We're excited to see New York City reduce administrative burdens and make contracting more accessible, especially for small businesses and nonprofit providers.
ForFood Bank for New York City
We commend Mayor Mamdani and the Commission for prioritizing the modernization of procurement and the reduction of unnecessary administrative burdens.
ForThe New York Foundling
For far too long, outdated procurement processes have bogged down our sector with needless paperwork and lengthy approvals to operate -- with New Yorkers in need of the most support paying the biggest price.
ForBronxWorks
If passed, Question #2 would modernize the City contracting process for non-profits, cutting red tape and giving us access to funding faster.
ForWomen's Prison Association (WPA)
We applaud the Mayor for taking crucial steps to alleviate the burden on community-based organizations involved in contracting.
ForCASES
We appreciation COGE's focus on fixing the broken nonprofit procurement process, which features many burdensome requirements that delay contracts based on antiquated rules.
ForUnited Way of New York City
Modernizing the City's procurement process is an important step toward ensuring that nonprofits can spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time supporting children, families, and communities.
ForHousing Works
Housing Works supports Ballot Question 2, which takes practical steps to modernize the City's procurement process while preserving the public oversight that New Yorkers expect.
ForReinvent Albany
We strongly support quarterly meeting requirements for the Procurement Policy Board, which has not met on a regular basis, even while many important contracting policies should be addressed.
Reinvent Albany · Reinvent Albany Positions on 2026 NYC Ballot Questions (Four Yes, One No)
ForReinvent Albany
We also support tailoring vendor questionnaires more specifically to industries to streamline data reporting.
Reinvent Albany · Reinvent Albany Positions on 2026 NYC Ballot Questions (Four Yes, One No)
ForCitizens Union
However, we are concerned about giving the administration authority to rewrite the vendor questionnaire, some of whose current questions help prevent corruption and ensure vendor integrity and accountability. If this measure passes, the Department of Investigation must be involved in the rewriting of the questionnaire.
Citizens Union · Citizens Union Announces Support for All Five 2026 Ballot Questions
AgainstD9 Harlem Votes®
Reducing contractor paperwork should not come with reduced public review or unclear changes in oversight responsibilities.
ForCommon Cause New York
Reducing unnecessary administrative burdens can help smaller businesses and nonprofits participate in City contracting, while regular Procurement Policy Board meetings provide an additional opportunity for oversight.
Common Cause New York · 2026 NYC Ballot Proposals: What New Yorkers Should Know
The money
Nothing on the record found, as of Oct 20, 2026.
Related laws and measures
The New York City Council
This bill would increase the threshold requiring a vendor doing business with the city to complete a Vendor Information Exchange System (VENDEX) questionnaire from $100,000 to $250,000 in aggregate contracts or subcontracts over the preceding 12 month period.
Candidates on it
Amanda N. Septimo
When it takes months to approve a sidewalk café, years to complete a housing project, or far too long for community organizations to secure contracts that serve our neighborhoods, everyone pays the price.
John Liu
This charter revision commission has provided several thoughtful recommendations that will allow New Yorkers to weigh in at the ballot on how to best shape the future of our city.
What people are saying
Forsemperfi225
Wow these are great - yes on all 5 for me! Looks like democrats are taking the abundance agenda seriously now.
Reddit · What to Know About NYC’s 5 Ballot Proposals Ahead of Election Day
AgainstCountFew6186
Voting no on 2. Removing reviews from the city contract process makes corrupt contracts easier.
Reddit · What to Know About NYC’s 5 Ballot Proposals Ahead of Election Day
Reading it the other way
Citizens Union
If this measure passes, the Department of Investigation must be involved in this effort.
Citizens Union · Citizens Union Recommends a Yes Vote on All Five 2026 Charter Proposals