Mamdani launches COGE to rewrite NYC efficiency playbook

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday unveiled the Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), a 15-member panel tasked with modernising city government and proposing charter amendments for voters in November 2026.

The commission will conduct 10 public hearings across New York City’s five boroughs and gather input from union leaders, community organisers and city employees as it reviews housing approvals, procurement systems and public service delivery.

“COGE will hold hearings in every borough and meet with union members, community organisers, and working people who will shape how we build a more responsive and accountable government,”

Said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Patrick Gaspard, the former US ambassador to South Africa, will chair the commission, which also includes labour representatives such as District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido.

Mamdani said the initiative was designed as an alternative to the federal Department of Government Efficiency effort associated with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, arguing that efficiency should improve services rather than reduce them, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos added that savings could be used to eliminate taxes for lower-income workers. Following the announcement, Amazon's share price was unchanged.

The launch follows Mamdani’s decision to replace a charter review panel inherited from former mayor Eric Adams, with the first COGE meeting scheduled for June 4 and borough hearings beginning on June 9.

The commission’s recommendations will ultimately be submitted to voters through a citywide ballot, with supporters viewing the process as a pathway to modernising government operations while critics question whether a commission heavily informed by organised labour can deliver meaningful cost savings.