Although the City Council and the Mayor become focused on the budget again during May, the legislative process does not come to a complete standstill. Indeed, the Council looked to push Intro Number 1133-A (the "A” here means the original bill has been amended), which would prevent building owners in arrears on certain payments to the City greater than $25,000, such as for back taxes or fines, from receiving building-related permits. To summarize, the bill requires those seeking permits to submit information about who owns the building and if any owners owe $25,000 or more on any buildings in the City. We had teamed up with REBNY to comment on the original bill, and we felt that our issues had not been addressed. Nonetheless, the Council was prepared to "lay the bill on the desks” and vote it out at the next Stated Council Meeting (i.e., the formal meeting of the entire Council, which typically occurs twice per month). Once again, we teamed with REBNY to argue that the bill was not ready to move and, at best, needed more thought and work. In the end, the Council decided not to move the bill as planned, and we are waiting to hear what next steps they will take on it. We’ll keep you informed.
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