Robert Moses's unfinished business should be Mamdani's priority
10 days ago
- #public administration
- #New York City governance
- #civil service reform
- Robert Moses's unfinished business in reforming New York's civil service system should be a priority for Mayor-elect Mamdani.
- Mamdani faces significant hiring challenges due to outdated and restrictive civil service rules, with 25,000 job applicants in 24 hours but limited ability to hire effectively.
- The civil service system in New York City is described as outdated, with arbitrary job classifications and a cumbersome hiring process that discourages merit-based hiring.
- The system's inefficiencies stem from 19th-century reforms aimed at eliminating patronage, but now hinder modern governance and effective policy implementation.
- Mamdani's administration must focus on foundational reforms to achieve policy goals like free child care, requiring updates to hiring practices, technology, and administrative systems.
- The article suggests that state-level reforms, possibly initiated by Governor Hochul or future governors, are necessary to overhaul the civil service system.