New York’s mayor unveils ‘COGE’ government efficiency office
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced the creation of the Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE, making NYC the latest of many cities and states to create a group tasked with improving government operations.
The group will be chaired by Patrick Gaspard, a former diplomat and previous president of the Washington think tank Center for American Progress. The commission, which follows a trend renewed by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, will examine how the city can improve its efficiency, modernize services and work faster. It will review the legal framework of the city’s government, gather public input and issue proposals to amend the charter. Over the coming months, the commission will hold 10 public hearings across the five boroughs to hear directly from New Yorkers, and this feedback will inform proposals that will be voted on by residents in November’s election.
COGE’s work is expected to include removing outdated bureaucratic barriers that slow infrastructure projects and delay services. The commission will also aim to equip city agencies with the authority, enforcement mechanisms and flexibility to deliver programs effectively. Other aims will include modernizing government to improve efficiency through budget practices, and depending on the feedback gathered through the hearings, other reforms may be considered.
Alongside Gaspard, who also served as executive director of the Democratic National Committee, Mamdani proposed that the commission appoint longtime public servant Ann Cheng as executive director. She most recently served as director of strategic initiatives in the state’s governor’s office. If Cheng is appointed, the pair will oversee a group of civil servants, educators and experts who have been named to serve on the inaugural commission.
“New Yorkers deserve a government that works as hard as they do – and a government as careful with their money as they are,” Mamdani said in a news release. “For too long, bureaucracy has stood in the way of delivering the housing, transit, child care and public services our city needs. The Commission on Government Efficiency will take a hard look at how City government functions and identify the reforms we need to deliver faster, smarter and more effectively for working people. Restoring faith in government starts with proving government can actually deliver.”
The commission’s initial public meeting will take place June 4, and the first group’s public hearing for gathering feedback will be held June 9. Nine additional hearing dates will be announced in the coming weeks, the office said.
