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 **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** November 30, 2009
Contact: Matt Mittenthal
212.669.4691; 917.597.4485
Gotbaum Bill Would Set Fixed, Independent Budgets for Public Advocate, COIB, CCRB
Bill Also Ensures Greater Autonomy for City Comptroller
MANHATTAN—In an effort to strengthen and protect the independent watchdog agencies in New York City government, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum introduced legislation that would establish fixed-minimum budgets for the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA), the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB), and the Civilian Complaints Review Board (CCRB). The budgets for OPA and COIB would each equal a percentage of the City’s total expense budget for any given year, and would not be subject to approval by the City Council or Mayor; while CCRB would be based on a percentage of the NYPD budget. The bill would also provide greater autonomy for the City Comptroller, allowing the agency to submit a budget estimate to the Mayor for inclusion in the executive budget.
Currently, the four oversight agencies – OPA, COIB, the City Comptroller, and CCRB – are subject to a budgeting process controlled by the Mayor and City Council. Representatives of these agencies may testify before the Council and request changes to the Mayor’s preliminary budget, but the final appropriations are determined through a vote by Councilmembers, signed by the Mayor.
Gotbaum’s bill would eliminate conflicts that may arise when elected officials set budgets for the agencies that monitor them.
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, “When my budget was cut 40% this year – over six times the cut sustained by any other elected official – it confirmed my belief that the city’s budgeting process is deeply flawed. With great power to set my budget, the Mayor and Speaker were able to strike back at an office that was critical of their actions.
“If it can happen to the public advocate, it can happen to any other independent oversight agency. The bill I’m proposing will shield these agencies from political retribution or self-interest; and it will provide security for our most essential checks on city government. “
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