These New York ballot questions would fundamentally change the city charter. Here's how.

New York City residents will not only vote for their elected representatives in November's general election, but also say “yes” or “no” to proposals to change the city's charter, the living document that effectively serves as the city's constitution.

Mayor Eric Adams convened a charter revision commission that approved five proposals over the summer on issues ranging from sanitation issues to the City Council's passage of public safety laws. The commission remains at the center of a battle for influence at City Hall, but for now its voting decisions are in the hands of everyday New Yorkers.

As early voting begins this Saturday, the measures will appear on city residents' ballots as Questions 2 through 6, followed by a statewide ballot referendum known to its supporters as the New York Equal Rights Amendment. (More on this here.)

What will the charter amendment questions look like on the back of the ballot and what will each of them do if passed? Whether you're a charter revision fan looking for a refresher or frantically Googling during the election, Gothamist has you covered.

Vote Question 2: Cleaning of Public Property

This is how the question appears on your ballot:

This proposal would amend the City Charter to expand and clarify the authority of the Department of Sanitation to clean streets and other City property and to require disposal of waste in containers.

Voting “yes” will expand and clarify the authority of the Ministry of Sanitation to clean streets and other city property and require the disposal of waste in containers. If you vote “no,” the laws will remain unchanged.

What the change does:

This change gives the Sanitation Authority the authority to clean all city properties, including street medians and city highways, at the mayor's discretion. The agency would be given authority to enforce dumpsterization, something it currently lacks in the charter.

Passage of this measure would also expand the agency's authority to enforce laws regarding street vendors — and to issue fines — in parks and other city-owned spaces. Advocates have expressed concerns that this would lead to harsh measures.

Sanitation officials have said they support the measure.

Ballot Question 3: Additional cost estimates for proposed legislation and updates to budget deadlines

This is how the question appears on your ballot:

This proposal would amend the City Charter to require a financial analysis by the Council before hearings and votes on legislation, approve a financial analysis by the Mayor, and update budget deadlines.

A “yes” vote would amend the city charter to require additional financial analysis before hearings and votes on local legislation and update budget deadlines. If you vote “no,” the laws will remain unchanged.

What the change does:

This is one of two proposals on the table that could fundamentally change the way the City Council passes laws. Vote Question 3 would require the council to estimate how much each bill would cost to implement — before convening a hearing or bringing the bill to a full vote.

The measure also requires the mayor's office to be notified eight days in advance of a City Council hearing or vote to give the mayor's Office of Management and Budget additional time to prepare its own separate budget estimate. This could be waived at the discretion of the mayor.

Critics, including council members, say it would stall the legislative process. The proposal would also push back several deadlines in the city budget process.

Vote Question 4: More advance notice and time before votes on public safety laws

This is how the question appears on your ballot:

This proposal would require additional public notice and time before the City Council votes on legislation respecting the public safety actions of police, correctional, or fire departments.

If you vote yes, additional notice and time will be required before the Council votes on legislation affecting the use of police, correctional facilities or fire departments in public safety matters. If you vote “no,” the laws remain unchanged.”

What the change does:

Like Question 3, this proposal would have a direct impact on the city's legislation — particularly laws that affect the “public safety operations” of police, fire or correctional departments, according to the amendment's language.

Before voting on a covered bill, the City Council would be required to notify the mayor, appropriate commissioners and the public 30 days in advance. The mayor and concerned authorities could convene additional hearings to gather more public opinion. Everything could be waived at the mayor's discretion.

The measure touches on a sore point for Adams and the council, who have been arguing over criminal justice and public safety laws this year.

Voting question 5: Capital planning

This is how the question appears on your ballot:

This proposal would amend the City Charter to require more detailed information in the annual assessment of City facilities, to require facility needs to influence capital planning, and to update capital planning timelines.

“A yes vote would require a more detailed assessment of the maintenance needs of city facilities, require that facility needs be incorporated into capital planning, and update capital planning timelines. If you vote “no,” the laws will remain unchanged.

What the change does:

This action would require an annual review of city facilities to include additional details on facility condition and maintenance needs. The city's 10-year capital strategy, which lays out officials' plans for infrastructure projects over a decade, would have to take into account the so-called statement of needs.

City Comptroller Brad Lander criticized the proposal as ineffective and said the statement of need heavily obscures the city's existing infrastructure. The proposal does not aim to expand the scope of the facilities included therein.

Ballot Question 6: Minority- and women-owned businesses, film permits and archival review boards

This is how the question appears on your ballot:

This proposal would amend the city charter to establish the chief business diversity officer, authorize the mayor to name the office that issues film permits, and consolidate archives committees.

Voting yes would establish the CBDO to support MWBEs (minority- and women-owned businesses), empower the mayor to name the office that issues film permits, and merge two boards. If you vote “no,” the laws will remain unchanged.

What the change does:

This measure would enshrine the role of chief business diversity officer, an existing position created by Adams, in the city charter. This would give the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment the authority to issue film permits and relieve the burden on the Department of Small Business Services. And it would combine two statutory boards related to the city archives into one.

Want to dig even deeper? Read the Vote Summary (the Charter Revision Commission's summary of each proposal). Here and the exact change language Here.