New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) on Thursday, framing the charter review as a deliberate counterpoint to the federal DOGE effort that collapsed last November under Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
The 15-member panel will hold 10 public hearings across the five boroughs and propose charter amendments for the November 2026 ballot, with input from union leaders, community organizers, and city workers.
How Mamdani’s COGE Differs from Federal DOGE
Patrick Gaspard, the former U.S. ambassador to South Africa, will chair the commission, with labor figures including District Council 37’s Henry Garrido.
Mamdani replaced a prior charter panel inherited from Eric Adams and introduced COGE.
COGE is structurally different from the federal effort it borrows its name from. Where Trump’s DOGE initiative pursued workforce reductions and contract cancellations across federal agencies, the New York commission proposes voter-approved charter changes covering housing approvals, procurement, and service delivery without service cuts.
Mamdani told reporters the federal version used efficiency language as cover for cutting services.
He has previously rejected the slash-and-burn model that prompted the early DOGE wind-down in late 2025.
The commission’s hearings will draw input from unions and organizers across all five boroughs.
“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. The future of this city will be built by all of us, together,” Mamdani stated.
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Bezos Endorses COGE as Reactions Split
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos backed the idea, arguing savings could underwrite a tax cut for low earners. The endorsement mirrors his recent zero-tax proposal for workers, pitched in a CNBC interview earlier this month.
“This is great and they do deserve that. And, with some of the savings, we can zero out taxes on the bottom half of earners. The best way to put money in people’s pockets is not to take it out in the first place,” the Amazon executive observed.
While supporters welcome a reform process anchored in public hearings, critics question whether union-heavy input would produce real savings, given Mamdani’s progressive policy agenda.
The first public meeting is set for June 4, with borough hearings beginning June 9, six months after his mayoral victory.
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