New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took aim at Elon Musk as he announced the appointment of a new commission on Thursday focused on improving the effectiveness of the city’s government.
Mayor Mamdani’s newly unveiled Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) drew immediate comparisons to the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head by Elon Musk, which cut hundreds of thousands of federal jobs in the name of reducing government spending.
During Thursday’s press conference Mamdani refuted any connection between the two, taking direct aim at the Tesla founder in the process.
“It’s just the name and what it [DOGE] should have been,” Mamdani told reporters.
“Government efficiency, these are words that somehow have been understood as if they are Republican priorities, when in fact they are the priorities of anyone who believes in the public sector,” Mamdani told reporters. “And yet Elon Musk took that language and used it to cut as many jobs that were as critical as possible for so many of the neediest people across the country and across the world.
“Ours is going to be a focus on actually delivering efficiency,” the mayor continued. “Not as a byword for cutting services, but actually a sincere commitment to efficiency.”
What is COGE?
COGE will examine the New York City Charter and improve efficiency, modernize government and find ways to help government keep pace with the needs of the people it serves, according to the Mamdani administration.
The commission will also gather public input on potential charter amendments via 10 public hearings held citywide. The first one will take place on June 9.
According to the mayor’s office, the commission will attempt to remove “outdated bureaucratic barriers” that delay needed infrastructure projects and services. The commission will also attempt to ensure city agencies have the flexibility and tools they need to run programs efficiently, and will target improving budget practices.
Patrick Gaspard, a Democratic strategist and former president of progressive think tank Center for American Progress, will lead the commission. Ann Cheng, a former director for the New York State Executive Chamber, will serve as executive director of the new project.
“We ask city agencies to do so much, with such difficult constraints,” Cheng wrote in a
Thursday. “To have the chance to structurally change some of those constraints to allow city workers to do what they need to do is a total dream!”
“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.”
What was DOGE?
DOGE was a temporary U.S. government initiative established on January 20, 2025, via an executive order that reorganized the existing U.S. Digital Service, led by Elon Musk.
The initiative intended to modernize federal technology, cut regulations, streamline agencies, and eliminate what it described as wasteful spending.
Originally structured as an 18‑month effort scheduled to run until July 4, 2026, the initiative effectively ended much earlier. By November 2025, officials said DOGE no longer existed as a centralized entity, with many of its functions absorbed into other government offices.
