New agency restructures civic participation to amplify working-class voices historically excluded from government
Mayor Establishes Historic Civic Architecture to Transform Democracy from Below
Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order on his second day in office establishing the Office of Mass Engagement, a new municipal agency designed to fundamentally restructure how city government relates to everyday New Yorkers. The agency, led by Tascha Van Auken, the campaign manager who mobilized more than 100,000 volunteers during Mamdani’s historic mayoral race, consolidates fragmented civic engagement operations into a coordinated platform intended to give working-class communities meaningful influence over municipal decision-making. The creation of the office represents more than bureaucratic reorganization; advocates describe it as an institutional remaking of municipal governance rooted in participatory democracy principles that prioritize ordinary New Yorkers over wealthy interests with traditional access to power.
From Campaign Movement to Governing Structure
Van Auken brings unprecedented grassroots organizing credentials to the role of Commissioner. During the campaign, she orchestrated an unprecedented field operation that resulted in more than 2 million New Yorkers voting in the mayoral election, the highest turnout since 1969 and nearly double the participation rate of the 2021 election. The field operation knocked on more than 3 million doors and made more than 4.5 million voter contact calls, activating constituencies historically disconnected from municipal politics. This groundbreaking mobilization included young voters, immigrant communities, working-class neighborhoods in outer boroughs, and people who had given up on traditional electoral politics. Van Auken previously served as campaign manager for State Senator Julia Salazar and as Deputy Campaigns Director for the Working Families Party, bringing deep experience in movement-based politics. Notably, she also worked for Blue Man Group, bringing what Mamdani joked provides “both organizing discipline and an unusual tolerance for chaos.”
Consolidating Fragmented Engagement into Coherent Architecture
The Office of Mass Engagement consolidates four previously siloed city agencies and programs: the Public Engagement Unit, the Mayor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships, NYC Service, and the Civic Engagement Commission. City officials acknowledge that past engagement efforts were repetitive, uncoordinated, and frequently disconnected from actual policy outcomes. Community members reported attending multiple “listening sessions” that produced no visible results, creating cynicism about authentic government responsiveness. City Limits published analysis describing how previous engagement structures privileged those with flexibility to attend meetings during business hours, technologically savvy residents capable of navigating municipal online platforms, and established civic leaders already known to government. The new office is designed to reverse this dynamic by going to communities rather than expecting communities to come to government, and by explicitly tying civic participation to measurable policy changes.
Democracy Measured by Outcomes Rather Than Meetings
The administration has been explicit that success will be measured not by the number of meetings held or surveys collected, but by whether residents see their voices reflected in actual policy decisions. Van Auken stated in press materials that government engagement processes today are “disconnected from outcomes” and that “many New Yorkers who have taken time off work or childcare to show up for government-led engagement feel their time was wasted.” The office will organize regular town halls, community meetings, and participatory budgeting initiatives, but with explicit commitment that feedback will inform concrete policy. Initial engagement initiatives include organizing neighborhood forums on housing stability, healthcare access, and public safety where residents map desired services and then mobilize to demand government implement community priorities. Faith-based leaders praised the new structure. Fahd Ahmed, Executive Director at DRUM, an immigrant rights organization, emphasized that “functioning transformative governance” requires “practices of participatory democracy between the government and communities, and collaborative strategizing between the government and movements.”
Remaking Community Boards as Governance Institutions
Analysts suggest the Mamdani administration will leverage New York’s existing 59 community boards, which currently function primarily as advisory bodies, to become genuine governance institutions with decision-making authority. Community board membership traditionally skews toward older, wealthier, whiter populations with time and knowledge to participate. By providing outreach, accessible meeting times, and explicit decision-making power, community boards could become venues where working-class New Yorkers exert control over neighborhood resources. The Office of Mass Engagement is also coordinating participatory budgeting initiatives in multiple boroughs, allowing residents to directly decide how millions in city discretionary spending are allocated. For civic engagement resources visit NYC Community Resources Portal. Learn about participatory budgeting through National Participatory Budgeting Network. Community organizing information available at DRUM Immigrant Rights. For information on community boards, consult NYC Community Boards.
