New York Voters to Consider Term Limits for Community Board Members

Sam Raskin reports on the choice facing New York City voters on November 6, when they'll consider Proposal 3 among a slate of citywide proposals written by the mayor's Charter Revision Commission.

Proposal 3 "would implement term limits for the city’s 59 community board members, along with other measures aimed at promoting diversity on those boards," according to Raskin. If the ballot measure is approved "[n]ewly appointed board members, or those reappointed after April 1, 2019, would be limited to four consecutive two-year terms. After two years off a board, members would be eligible to be reappointed to it."

Community board members are volunteers appointed by borough presidents to advise on matters of land use and development. The community board system is criticized by some as being out of touch with the current realities of neighborhoods, and dominated by demographics that don't reflect their communities (i.e., community boards are whiter and older).

Proposal 3 only has support from one borough president, and borough presidents and community board members consider the role an important check on the power of developers and real estate interests. Raskin presents the arguments and key players involved on either side of the issue.