On Monday, April 12, the New York City Charter Revision Commission, set up by Mayor Bloomberg to review the city’s rules and regulation, will take testimony from Bronx residents. 

The hearing will take place at Hostos Community College (500 Grand Concourse), in the Repertory Theatre, and starts at 6 p.m.
On March 3, Bloomberg appointed the commission to review the entire City Charter and propose to the city’s voters any possible amendments that would improve it.

Specifically, the commission will be looking at how the city budget process functions, whether the comptroller and public advocate should get their budgets set by the mayor and council, whether the public advocate’s office should exist, whether New York needs borough presidents and what their power should be and whether the Uniform Land Use Review (the process by which all city land use options are reviewed) needs to be fixed or not.

The commission is also supposed to take a look at the amendments made in 1988 and 1989 and incorporate what has been learned over the past two decades.

Two Bronx residents were named to the commission: Tony Cassino, the former City Council candidate and ex-chairman of Community Board 8, and Father Joseph McShane, the president of Fordham University.

Those who wish to give testimony at the meeting must do so by signing up 30 minutes in advance. To submit a written testimony,

you must submit to the Commission’s website at www.nyc.gov/charter and click on the “Contact the Commission” link.

To get to the meeting, take the 2, 4 or 5 train to 149th Street or take the Bx1 or Bx19 bus to 149th St.