Senate Bill S9456

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9456

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the New York city charter, in relation to authorizing
the New York city council to determine annual rental payments charged to
the New York city water board

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends Section 28 of the New York City Charter by adding a
new subdivision that vests the City Council with the authority to make
an annual determination on whether the New York City Water Board will be
responsible for rental payments to city based on the lease agreement
between the two parties. The City Council may also determine then wheth-
er it is required and what amount is required thereof.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

              

Since the establishment of the New York City Water Board in the
mid-1980s, a rent payment has been made to the city for leasing water
infrastructure and improving utilities. Since then, the dire state of
utilities in New York has since been greatly improved and in 2017, then-
Mayor Bill DeBlasio made good on a campaign promise to "right a wrong"
that has affected New Yorkers for decades.

Today, Mayor Adams, despite stating the city's budget would not increase
taxes, has decided that a new levy would be tacked onto New Yorkers by
means of increased water utilities rates and a hidden water board rental
tax. While this bill won't eliminate the charging the Water Board a
rental rate, it instead vests City Council with the authority to decide
whether a rate should be charged to the Water Board by the New York
City.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.