Zohran Mamdani has announced public hearings for his Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), a nod to the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Through the initiative, New York City's government will hear directly from residents about their experiences with government bureaucracy and the obstacles they have faced when trying to access city services.
While the program carries a catchy name, its focus is not on cutting spending or eliminating government programs. Instead, it is designed to gather complaints about bureaucratic hurdles and use that feedback to reshape and streamline city services. As a result, the commission may end up recommending fewer restrictions, broadening eligibility standards, and additional administrative processes, all changes that could expand government operations rather than shrink them.
"Commission on Government Efficiency," Mamdani said. "Too often, a working New Yorker is trying to find any extra dollar they can to make ends meet, and then they look at city government, and they don't see the same application of effort."
"There are opportunities for government efficiency, but we need your help," he said. "So we are going to be hosting 10 public hearings across the five boroughs to hear from you, because we want this commission to be a reflection of your experiences, of your ideas. We want it to be much more than what commissions have been in the past."
COGE was initially launched in late May, with the stated goal of "examin[ing] how the New York City Charter can better support public excellence by improving efficiency, modernizing city government and ensuring government keeps pace with New Yorkers’ needs."
COGE’s work is expected to include removing outdated bureaucratic barriers that slow infrastructure projects and delay services; equipping City agencies the authority, enforcement tools, and flexibility they need to deliver programs effectively; and modernizing government to improve efficiency and saving, reserve and budget practices. The Commission may also consider additional reforms that emerge through public engagement, testimony and research.
In other words, rather than limiting bureaucracy to its core functions and reducing costs for taxpayers, the initiative is more likely to shift resources toward restructuring and expanding access to existing government programs. Any savings generated in one area could be offset, or exceeded, by new spending elsewhere as the city works to streamline services.
Some have also criticized COGE on the grounds that, while it is technically independent and required to hold public hearings, it is under no obligation to adopt the public's recommendations. The commission also remains closely tied to the mayor's office, with Mamdani responsible for appointing its members. As a result, questions remain about how much influence the public will actually have, whether COGE will actually produce any meaningful reforms, or if it will primarily serve as a vehicle to keep the public happy.
“New Yorkers deserve a government that works as hard as they do – and a government as careful with their money as they are. For too long, bureaucracy has stood in the way of delivering the housing, transit, child care and public services our city needs. The Commission on Government Efficiency will take a hard look at how City government functions and identify the reforms we need to deliver faster, smarter and more effectively for working people,” Mamdani said. “Restoring faith in government starts with proving government can actually deliver.”
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/dmitri-bolt/2026/06/08/mamdani-just-launched-a-knockoff-of-doge-n2677409
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