Friends, this week brought a major shift in how New York City plans to tackle fiscal challenges facing our city government. Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order 12, an initiative that directs every city agency to appoint a Chief Savings Officer whose job is to dig into agency performance, find inefficiencies, and recommend ways to trim waste. These officers have five days to be named and 45 days to deliver a plan on how their department can operate more smartly and cost-effectively. The goal, as Mamdani puts it, is a city government that “respects New Yorkers by using every dollar wisely.”
Here’s what this means in practical terms for city services and the city budget:
- Each agency will designate a senior staffer as its savings lead, tasked with reviewing operations and identifying programs that deliver the biggest value.
- These officers will look for ways to eliminate duplication, streamline processes, and prioritize resources.
- Findings will be reported to City Hall and used to guide budgeting decisions aimed at stabilizing finances in the wake of a reported $12 billion deficit.
Think of this as a structured effort to make city government better, more efficient, and more accountable – one that places an internal spotlight on performance and outcomes.
A National Echo: Comparing to Elon Musk’s DOGE Approach in the Trump Era
At the federal level, a somewhat similar theme emerged during the Trump administration with a controversial cost-cutting initiative known as DOGE – the Department of Government Efficiency. Despite the playful acronym echoing the Dogecryptocurrency that billionaire Elon Musk often referenced, the program was far from a meme in its ambition. It aimed to slash federal waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending. Musk later described his effort with DOGE as “somewhat successful” but acknowledged he wouldn’t take such a role again, and that the results fell short of early fanfare.
DOGE’s story was marked by bold claims and intense scrutiny:
- The initiative pledged to cut trillions in spending but ultimately delivered a fraction of that, with its own tracking showing hundreds of billions in claimed savings that analysts found difficult to verify.
- Musk’s involvement generated both praise and criticism, from cheering supporters to experts who said the program created as much chaos as savings.
- DOGE’s legacy became a mix of modest efficiency gains and controversy around methodology and transparency.
In contrast, Mamdani’s directive in New York focuses on structured, agency-embedded review rather than a top-down overhaul. The Chief Savings Officers won’t be sweeping in to dismantle departments but will work within the existing framework to identify ways to deliver better service without unnecessary cost. This difference in approach highlights the lessons learned from past experiments: sustainable improvement often begins with careful internal review and accountability rather than dramatic restructuring.
As we watch these officers get to work in the coming weeks, we’ll be keeping an eye on how their proposals could reshape city operations and whether this model becomes one other cities look to emulate.
Let’s stay tuned.
The Five Amendments That Sold Out Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island did not lose control of its southern waterfront in a single deal. It happened in five quiet steps. Five amendments. Five missed chances to renegotiate.
