New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
Mayor Bill de Blasio is starting the week with a news conference Monday morning where he is expected to announce a new "millionaire's tax" which would fund MTA upgrades and subsidize MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers. The proposal comes amid a dispute between the city and State over funding a short-term rescue plan for the subways. Governor Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chair Joe Lhota pushed back against the mayor's proposal, which became public on Sunday, insisting that the city bear half the costs for immediate subway repairs. Mayor de Blasio has insisted throughout that the state already has enough funds at its disposal.
This week has more action than last at the City Council, including an oversight hearing on the subway system. There is a variety of other Council committee hearings and one full-body Stated Meeting at which bills are passed and introduced.
See our day-by-day rundown below.
***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.***
The run of the week in detail:
Monday
At 10 a.m. Monday, Public Advocate Letitia James will host a news conference at City Hall with City Council Members Margaret Chin and Ritchie Torres on "NYCHA Failing to Serve Senior Residents with Disabilities."
At 11 a.m. Monday, Mayor de Blasio will hold a news conference at Columbus park in Brooklyn to "make an announcement about the City's support for subways and buses." Later, he will make his weekly appearance on “Road to City Hall” on NY1 Monday evening, during the 7 and 10 p.m. hours. This will be the mayor’s final weekly appearance on the program until after the mayoral election. He may appear as a candidate.
Tuesday
At the City Council on Tuesday:
-- The Committee on Housing and Buildings will meet at 9:30 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws, including, but not limited to, creating a “safe construction bill of rights,” creating “an office of the tenant advocate within the department of buildings,” “creating a task force on construction work in occupied multiple dwellings,” increasing penalties for working without permits and violating stop work orders, and amending the definition of tenant harassment to “include repeatedly contacting or visiting a tenant under certain circumstances.”
-- The Committee on Transportation will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “improving the New York City subway system.”
-- The Committee on Finance will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to a “wireless communications surcharge” and “increasing the maximum qualifying income for the senior citizen homeowner’s exemption and the disabled homeowner’s exemption.”
--The Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss a proposed law relating to “reporting response times for firefighting units and ambulances to emergencies.”
-- The Committee on Health will meet at 10:30 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws relating to the regulation of tobacco products, including, but not limited to, a prohibition on use of tobacco or e-cigarettes in “the common areas of all multiple dwellings” and “increasing the retail cigarette dealer license fee.”
-- The Committee on Standards and Ethics will meet at 12:30 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding the “matter of Ruben Wills,” the Queens Council member recently convicted on criminal corruption charges.
The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) will meet on Tuesday in Albany.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Board of Standards and Appeals will hold a public hearing at Spector Hall.
Wednesday
The full City Council will meet at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, with Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito expected to host the usual pre-stated press conference beforehand.
Also at the City Council on Wednesday
-- The Committee on Finance will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to a “wireless communications surcharge” and “increasing the maximum qualifying income for the senior citizen homeowner’s exemption and the disabled homeowner’s exemption.”
-- The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet at 10:30 a.m.
-- The Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Elections, at 10:30 a.m., will hold a continuation of an August 2 recessed hearing regarding the nominations of Nasr Sheta to the Board of Standards and Appeals and Michael Rivadeneyra to the Civilian Complaint Review Board
-- The Committee on Land Use will meet at 11 a.m.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the City Planning Commission will hold a public meeting at Spector Hall.
Thursday
At 3 p.m. Thursday, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, Council Member Antonio Reynoso “will be representing the 34th District including Bushwick, Greenpoint and Williamsburg” at the Source360 Speaker Series.
Friday and the weekend
Mayor de Blasio will be on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show for his weekly interview on Friday. This will be the mayor’s final weekly appearance on the program until after the mayoral election, though he is likely to appear on the show as a candidate.
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Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).
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by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette
