Mayor Eric Adams is seeking to expand the authority of the Department of Sanitation in New York City with a ballot proposal in November. The proposal aims to give the department powers to enforce cleanliness rules in public spaces, containerize waste, and regulate street vending in city parks.
The proposal would clarify the sanitation department’s responsibility to clean areas outside its jurisdiction, such as city highways and neglected medians. It would also strengthen the department’s ability to containerize waste across the five boroughs, a signature policy of Adams known as the “trash revolution.” Additionally, the proposal would empower the department to enforce street vending rules in city parks.
Supporters claim that the measure is necessary to clean up the city, but opponents argue that it is a power grab that gives the department too much authority. The proposal is part of a series of ballot initiatives that have drawn criticism for being rushed and undemocratic.
The ballot proposal would also give the sanitation department the authority to issue fines to unlicensed street vendors in city parks and on other city property. It would make the department responsible for cleaning city highways, a duty previously held by the transportation department.
While some city officials support the proposal as a way to improve cleanliness in the city, others argue that it is a move to evade accountability. Critics say that the wording of the proposal in voter guides is misleading and fails to fully explain the implications of expanding the sanitation department’s authority.
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