Requires a central permit system by 2030, expands signing authority and transfers waterfront permitting.
Proposal 4 · New York City · Nov 3, 2026
Construction permitting
Official title: Simplify Building Permitting and Move Waterfront Permitting to Department of Buildings
Coordinates construction approvals and transfers waterfront permitting to the buildings department.
At a glance
Charter amendment- Does it raise taxes?
- No. Changes building and waterfront permitting.
- Estimated cost or revenue
- Not quantified in the cited official explanation.
- Who pays
- City government; specific incidence not quantified.
- Where the money goes
- City administration
- How long
- Charter amendment; no sunset identified.
Worth knowing: No independently verified dollar estimate in this dataset.
From the NYC Votes and the state’s fiscal analysis. Estimates are the state’s, not ours.
Your choice
Saved privately on this device.What your vote does
Retains current agency responsibilities and permit systems.
What remains the same under either outcome has not been independently established in this research.
How the money works
TypeCharter amendment
Rate or thresholdNot a tax-rate measure.
Cost, who pays and where the money goes are in “At a glance” above.
What your guides say
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Why they disagree
Supporters say one Department of Buildings permit hub, including waterfront permits, would replace dealing with several agencies.
Supporters (summary)City & State found no organized opposition to this proposal.
No organized oppositionWho’s funding it
We haven’t loaded campaign-finance filings for Proposal 4 yet. You can look them up directly:
Sources
- NYC Votes
2026 Ballot Proposal 4 · Official plain-language explanation
Checked Oct 31, 2026