(NEW YORK CITY) - A coalition of Council Members, Labor Unions and advocates are warning New Yorkers about the misleading language and negative impacts of Mayor Eric Adams’ Ballot Proposals 2, 3 and 4 in the upcoming election.

The proposals would change who has the power to make decisions about development in New York City, shifting voting power from communities’ Democratically elected representatives to unelected appointees of the Mayor.

However, the language describing the proposals on the ballot largely conceals this change.

The coalition warned that the changes advanced by the ballot proposals would erode community power that helps secure increased affordability in housing development, good jobs and investments in neighborhood parks, schools, public transit, core infrastructure and other essentials.  

Council Members were joined by the Building Service Workers Union 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the District Council of Carpenters, and Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, as well as advocates from the Metropolitan Council on Housing, to stress the importance for voters to understand the truth about Proposals 2, 3, and 4 and their impact when casting their ballots.

New York City AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President Brendan Griffith said: “Two things can be true at once. New York urgently needs more affordable housing and we must also protect the voice of Working People in shaping that future. These ballot proposals pit progress against Democracy and give too much power to those least accountable to our communities. We can build faster and fairer, but only when the people who make this City run have a real say. True affordability means accountability, local voices and good Union jobs at every step, from blueprints to keys in a tenant’s hand.”

Common Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said: “Through their Democratically elected City Council, New Yorkers currently have the power to secure more affordable housing, neighborhood investments and good Union jobs - but that is at risk to Mayor Adams’ misleading Ballot Proposals two, three and four. These proposals threaten to remove our communities’ ability to hold developers and the City accountable to deliver for the needs of Working-Class communities and our neighborhoods. Without communities’ voices and power in development decisions, our neighborhoods will get less affordable housing, less investment - and will be vulnerable to more gentrification. New Yorkers deserve to know the truth about what is at stake this election and that’s why we will continue to inform voters about the true impacts of Mayor Adams’ misleading ballot proposals.”

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: Coalition of NYC Council Members, Labor Unions, and Advocates Warn Voters about Misleading Language of Mayor Adams’ Ballot Proposals That Endanger Housing Affordability, Good Jobs, and Neighborhood Investments - Press

Photo Courtesy Of The New York City AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s Website.