Adjunct Professor Jerry Goldfeder wrote an op-ed for the New York Times about the role of New York City’s public advocate.
The public advocate should have unfettered subpoena power to bolster the office’s investigatory mandate. This would require City Council action, and the new public advocate should sponsor legislation on his or her first day in office.
The public advocate should also partner with the city comptroller, who has far-reaching auditing authority, to jointly expose fraud, waste and corruption in the city.
And the public advocate should tap into the experience and expertise of the thousands of local community board members throughout the city. A formalized working relationship between the community boards and the public advocate is an opportunity hiding in plain sight.