A History of NYC Charter Revisions

by Marissa Solomon

Since the first in 1898, New York City has seen numerous Charter Commissions. Some made big changes — like the 1989 commission’s expansion of City Council after a court ruling eliminating the Board of Estimate — while some made no changes at all — like the 2003 commission’s voted-down proposal to make city primary elections nonpartisan.

As the current commission considers the focus areas for the 2019 Charter, here’s a look back at the major, city-changing Charter revisions of commissions past.