Elon Musk Mocked: Zohran Mamdani Disbands Eric Adams's Final Panel, Launches 'COGE'

Elon Musk's DOGE became shorthand for a hard-edged approach to efficiency, one that critics say often meant mass layoffs and service cuts dressed up as reform. Zohran Mamdani's version is meant to land differently, according to the city's press release, which says COGE will review the city charter and propose ways to move past bureaucratic barriers that slow infrastructure work and delay services.

Mamdani openly acknowledged the reference when asked about it, saying he did not intend to emulate Musk's project and that COGE would be what that initiative 'should've been,' while also accusing Musk of exploiting public frustration with government inefficiency to 'slash and burn' services people rely on.

Eric Adams's Final Panel Disappears

The news came after the dissolution of a commission created by former mayor Eric Adams on his final day in office, a panel that had been focused on the city's closed primary system. Politico reported that state lawmakers included a budget provision allowing the new mayor to disband that Adams-era body, clearing the way for Mamdani's own commission to take its place.

Mamdani said he chose not to simply inherit the earlier panel because New Yorkers had 'made it abundantly clear' they wanted to move on from the previous administration. That is a political judgment as much as an administrative one, and it leaves little doubt about the message being sent to Adams allies. The old commission is out, the new one is in, and the new mayor has wasted little time making the break visible.

Inside Zohran Mamdani's COGE

According to the press release, COGE will look at 'outdated bureaucratic barriers' that hold up infrastructure projects, and it will consider giving city agencies more authority, enforcement tools and flexibility to deliver programmes more effectively. It will also examine how the government handles efficiency, savings, reserves and budgeting practices, which is a very city-hall way of saying Mamdani wants a leaner and faster machine.

The panel will be chaired by Patrick Gaspard, a close adviser to Mamdani and former US ambassador under Barack Obama. Ann Cheng, who previously worked in the New York State Executive Chamber, has been named executive director.

The rest of the roster leans heavily on people with government and civic experience, including former Manhattan borough president Ruth Messinger, former city council member Carlina Rivera and Kathryn Wylde, the former head of the Partnership for New York City.

What Happens Next For Zohran Mamdani

The commission is set to hold its first meeting on 4 June at 5 p.m., followed by its first public hearing on 9 June at 5 p.m. Nine more hearings are scheduled in the weeks after that. Those dates give the effort a brisk start, but they also create a public paper trail that will show whether COGE becomes a real reform engine or simply a well-timed swipe at Musk and the administration Mamdani has just replaced.

There is a certain neatness to the whole thing, perhaps too neat. A mayor trying to prove that government can move faster. A predecessor's panel being swept aside before it can settle into the furniture. And an acronym designed, with a wink, to remind people that efficiency can mean very different things depending on who is holding the reins.